(Columbia, SC) – Sixth District Congressman and House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn today announced the Low Country Healthy Start Program serving Allendale, Hampton, Bamberg and Orangeburg counties will receive $1.1 million over the next five years through the Healthy Start program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program is dedicated to ensuring that low-income and disadvantaged pregnant women receive the health care they need. Services include outreach, home visitation, case management, health education, perinatal depression screening, interconceptional care and other effective approaches to ensure a healthy birth and a healthy pregnancy.
“I am pleased the Low Country Healthy Start Program has been selected to receive this funding,” said Congressman Clyburn. “Healthy Start is exactly the type of community-based prevention program that will save lives and also millions of dollars in health care costs down the road.”
Mrs. Virginia Berry White, Project Director of Low Country Healthy Start Program, stated: “Congressman Clyburn has been a true champion for our program. This funding will allow Healthy Start to continue providing community-based services to improve the health of mothers and babies.”
Low Country Healthy Start is one of 100 Healthy Start sites across the country specifically focused on reducing infant mortality, reducing the incidence of low birthweight babies and eliminating racial disparities in perinatal outcomes. An area is eligible for Healthy Start if it has an infant mortality rate 1.5 times the national average.
The federal Healthy Start Initiative receives $100 million in funding from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Health Resources and Services Administration. Established in 1991, Healthy Start is comprised of approximately 100 community-based programs that respond to the medical, social, cultural and social service needs of women and their infants. Low Country Healthy Start is a member of the National Healthy Start Association (NHSA). For more information, go to http://www.lchealthystart.org/aboutus.htm. The NHSA supports the expansion of efforts that are rooted in the community and actively involve community members in their design and implementation. For information, visit www.healthystartassoc.org, or contact the NHSA at 202-296-2195.
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