For immediate release

Contact: Megan Branham, Director of Program Services, March of Dimes (803) 252-5200 X13 or

March of Dimes Awards More than $500,000 to Grantees across the State

Grants among13 awarded in the state to improve the health of mothers and babies in South Carolina

(March 3, 2010)—The South Carolina Chapter of the March of Dimes has awarded more than $500,000 in chapter community grants for projects focused on improving the health of mothers and babies in South Carolina.

Statewide Grants include:

SC Chapter Zeta Phi Beta Sorority is receiving $25,000 to fund “South Carolina Health Connections VIII-Stork’s Nest”. This project aims to reach 2,500 women of childbearing age through educational forums such as groups, clubs, mall booths, and Prematurity Awareness Sunday where information is provided to church congregations. SC Health Connections VIII will expand to new Stork’s nest locations and will work toward re-activating inactive locations.

The South Carolina Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is receiving $20,000 to implement “African American Prematurity Outreach, Education and Awareness Campaign”. This campaign will focus on reaching a minimum of 1,000 African American individuals with information, education, and awareness messaging regarding the disparity of premature births in African Americans. Through five black media venues including churches, drug treatment centers and housing projects, information will be presented to women of childbearing age as well as alternate presentations for young men and fathers.

The South Carolina Perinatal Association (SCPA) is receiving $10,000 to support the SCPA Education Committee’s goal of influencing 425 health care professionals to enhance support services and provide affordable, quality education aimed at improving perinatal care and outcomes to high-risk pregnant women in South Carolina. SCPA will hold their annual conference addressing current perinatal issues and hold educational cafes, which will offer continuing education credit for health care professionals.

The Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Dr. Charles Rittenberg received $69,946 to continue the “Progesterone Outreach Program (POP)”. POP’s primary objective is to encourage timely and appropriate use of progesterone to reduce recurrent spontaneous preterm births (PTB). Recent studies have shown progesterone to be effective at reducing preterm birth in women who have had prior spontaneous PTB. This grant is given in honor of Select Health of South Carolina, Inc., the premier Prematurity Campaign partner for the March of Dimes.

Grants in the Midlands include:

The Nurturing Center is receiving $18,860 for the continued implementation of enhanced preconception and prenatal education to pregnant and parenting teen mothers in conjunction with its “Teen Parenting” program. It will serve 60 pregnant and parenting teen mothers, predominately African American, during the grant period. The project offers support, relationship building and resource development to this high risk population. This grant is given in honor of Palmetto Health, a Prematurity Campaign sponsor.

The USC School of Medicine’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Department is receiving $20,000 to fund a interactive web conference system to assist in high quality rural obstetric care. The department will implement the new internet-based service to link the USC faculty based at labor and delivery in the Palmetto-Richland Medical Center with labor and delivery areas in all 16 counties of the Midlands referral region. This communications platform will improve patient care for mothers and newborns that are transferred from rural areas of the Midlands region.

Allendale Health Department/DHEC is receiving $18,227 to fund their, “It’s All About You!” initiative which will improve preconception health in women by informing and educating them about optimal health choices including healthy nutrition, maintaining a healthy weight, managing chronic diseases, and being tobacco free to improve birth outcomes and reduce infant mortality. Because of the need to reduce pre-conception risk factors including obesity, tobacco/alcohol use, lack of exercise and stress, part of the initiative includes the “Inside Beauty“ program which teaches young women how to improve their health practices and make them look and feel better. This in turn improves health and wellness of women and couples before pregnancy which improves birth outcomes.

Grants in the Low Country include:

Together for Beaufort Adequacy of Prenatal Care Coalition is receiving $55,100 to implement “Las Promotoras,” which will provide Comenzando Bien classes in local hospitals, communities and schools as well as individual interventions for expectant Latinas in Beaufort County. The project will reach approximately 500 providers with culturally sensitive interventions to improve perinatal health.

Grants in the Pee Dee Region include:

Coastal Plain Rural Health Network is receiving $57,980 to fund, “Working Together for Healthy Babies.” The program will reach 500 Hispanic women with prenatal classes in Spanish to promote healthy birth outcomes. Coastal Plain Rural Health Network will partner with the PASOs program, which uses a prenatal curriculum designed for Hispanic women to increase perinatal knowledge during pregnancy. Marion County Medical Center, Black River Healthcare Obstetrical Clinic, and McLeod Dillon will be sites where support services and enhanced education classes will be offered.

Grants in the Upstate include:

Greenville Hospital System is receiving $65,923 for the program “CenteringPregnancy”, a group model of prenatal care to high risk expectant women. The group model will be used to decrease poor outcomes of high risk populations by providing support, education, and socialization in order to empower women to participate in their own prenatal care. The project will reach 400 expectant women and 100 physicians, nurse practitioners and medical students.

AnMed Women’s and Children’s Health is receiving $30,332 to fund their project, “9Matters,” which seeks to bring education and tools for health to teens after school in community centers, high schools, and in local physicians’ offices. 9Matters will include “Lunch N Learns” in which members of the obstetric medical community and school faculty present educational sessions targeting 210 referred teens. The sessions will focus on increasing awareness of the signs and symptoms of preterm labor, increasing safe sleep knowledge, decreasing risk-taking behaviors, and thereby decreasing the incidence of preterm deliveries among teens.

Acercamiento Hispano de Carolina del Sur (South Carolina Hispanic Outreach) is receiving $60,000 to conduct "Mujer Latina—Bebe saludable,” (Latina Woman-Healthy Baby), which is a project providing enhanced prenatal care education in Spanish to Latino women in Saluda County. The program will reach approximately 400 women and will use the Comenzando Bien curriculum which validates participants’ knowledge, traditions, culture and belief systems and integrates them with medically sound prenatal practices.

Chesterfield County is receiving $31,202 to fund their “Make a Move” (MAM) campaign. MAM is designed as a collaborative, community-based project that will provide health care education and services on two tracks to alleviate teen pregnancy and the prevalence of infant mortality, low birth rates, and birth defects associated with teen pregnancy. The project, expecting to serve 120 participants, will work closely with recent teen mothers to alter the likelihood of a second teen pregnancy and will provide education services for pregnant and parenting teens to curb the high rate of teen pregnancy in the Chesterfield County community.

Last year, the South Carolina Chapter of March of Dimes invested 1.5 million dollars in program services, including research grants and local community services. Through these grants, the March of Dimes is seeking ways to prevent birth defects and infant death, reduce South Carolina’s increasing premature birth rate, increase access to prenatal care and educate men and women about having healthy babies.

Premature birth touches 9,000 babies and their families every year in South Carolina. The March of Dimes is funding vital research and programs to find ways to prevent preterm birth. In South Carolina, Select Health of South Carolina, Inc. is the Premier partner of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign. Palmetto Health is also a Prematurity Campaign sponsor.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies. For the latest resources and information visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org

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