- Enrolls 800~1000 women and their families every year, provides comprehensive case management including prenatal and postpartum services, and connects them to medial and social services.
- Each year, more than 600 women deliver in the program with birth outcomes that are better than the birth comes of non-participants.
- WHSI case managers have had more than 17,000 encounters with patients and provided them with maternal and child health support services.
- Held 4 successful Community Consortium Meetings with total attendance of about 200 program participants and community participants.
- Held the annual Black Women Health Summit with partners American Heart Association, Clark University, and March of Dimes. This event empowersacts women in the city each year to take control of their health and adopt healthy behaviors.
- Hosts an Annual Birth Day event for Worcester Healthy Start families.
- Held a very successful September Infant Mortality Awareness Month. Program received a citation and a proclamation from the State Representative Jim O’Day on behalf of governor Deval Patrick.
- Published articles in local newspapers including the Telegram and Gazette.
- Provided training on Reducing Infant Mortality in Worcester to about 53 providers, including medical students, and about 13 different community based agencies and Churches.
- Provided training/presentation to more than 70 providers at the GBVHC, UMASS and other agencies.
- Provided information and Community-wide Health education on improving birth outcomes, health disparities, infant mortality to the community through TV interviews (Channels 3 and 13) and radio stations.
- Collaborated with the WIMRTF to implement a Public Service Announcement with 12 radio stations in and around the Worcester area.
- Worked with several community based organizations servicing similar population as the program to promote the overall health and quality of life for the community. Such organizations include the March Of Dimes, Worcester HeadStart Child Development, Family Ties, Common Pathways, MassCONECT, Worcester Fathers and Family Network, Legal Assistance Cooperation, WIC and others.
- Collaborated with the City Manager’s Advisory Women Committee on the Status of Women on a needs assessment project for Worcester
- Participated in the State Tobacco Control Program and served on the planning committee to develop a public awareness campaign to support and reinforce the social norm of smoke free environments.
- Participated in the MDPH State PRAMS Advisory Council.
- In 2007, only 5.92 % of our high risk participants had premature delivery and further only 0.66% of our clients were born with very low birth weight (less than 1500g).
- Over the five years of period, none of the WHSI babies born with weight below 500gm, less than 1% Black Non-Hispanic (BlkNH) babies born with weight below 1500gm, and only 5% of BlkNH babies born with weight below 2500gm, whereas city of Worcester data are 0.4%, 3.5%, and 10.9% respectively, and MA data are 0.5%, 3.2%, and 12% respectively.
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WHSI was awarded the 2008 Health Care Hero Award by the Worcester Business Journal. |
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Program Participants have lower infant mortality rate and better birth outcomes than the city in general. Based on 2000 – 2005 data, the IMR for WHSI is 5.7 and Worcester is 8.6.
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