County Receives Grant to Help Close the Infant Mortality Gap

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2012

Leon County has partnered with the Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition to reconvene the “Year of the Healthy Infant” – a public forum to provide resources and information to help improve birth outcomes and identify additional opportunities to reduce the rate of black infant mortality.

The community forum will be held Saturday, March 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Florida State University Turnbull Conference Center, 555 W. Pensacola Street. The forum is free and open to the public. The day’s events will include an overview and analysis of the most recent infant mortality rates, a resource fair, education classes, health screenings, an update on current community efforts and more.

Through a Closing the Gap grant from the Florida Department of Minority Health, Leon County has partnered with Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition to provide education about safe sleep, preconception, interconception and prenatal health.  This partnership has evolved at a critical time for moms and babies, as reports indicate an increase in black infant deaths in Leon County in 2010. The "Leon County Campaign for Healthy Babies" is designed to reach African American women and girls of childbearing age to teach the importance of staying healthy prior to, during and after pregnancy. Health resources and information will also be provided to encourage women to maintain or establish a medical home.

Our goal is to reach at least 2,700 women in Leon County through health fairs, and the provision of health education classes in health centers, schools, faith-based organizations and other public venues. If you would like to schedule a FREE Healthy Start health education class at/for your organizations health event, contact LaRhonda Larkins at (850) 488-0288 ext. 106. 

Two of the part-time health educators, LaRhonda Larkins (left) and Cedrika Prewitt (right), posing at their booth at the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital for Life Under the Big Top

Reported by: Demetria Wright of WTXL

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - It was an emotional night for local parents grieving after losing a child.

"It six weeks between knowing of his existence and losing him,” said Samuel Edwards, who lost his son in April. “Dealing with that has been an adventure and that's why we're here tonight."

Samuel Edwards and his wife, Amy, came to the 10th annual “Walk to Remember” to honor and reflect on the life of their baby boy.

Their son, Dylan Edwards, died just one week after his birth. He was 15 weeks premature.

Thanks to all of our Art for Healthy Start sponsors for helping to make the event a success:

Capital City Bank
The Elizabeth M. Gentry Charitable Trust
Ann & Dwight Davis
Dr. Walter Colón
Thomas Howell Ferguson, P.A.
Regions Bank
Earl Bacon Agency
DuBose and Sallie Ausley
Kathleen Villacorta

With Special Thanks to:

Joe Claborn
Alisa Ghazvini
Signature Gallery