Getting off to a healthystart

National Healthy Start Association Newsletter

Fall 2007

Greetings from the President

Photo Caption: Cynthia Dean, President

I would like to thank the Board of Directors and the membership of National Healthy Start Association for this opportunity to serve as President. This is an exciting time in the history of National Healthy Start Association. As we move forward, there are many opportunities and challenges awaiting us. Input from the membership is critical to the success of all of our endeavors. Despite the recent gains in reducing infant deaths in the United States, infant mortality remains a serious tragic problem that can be solved only if all stakeholders work together to find answers.

Our shared vision to become a voice for establishing a continuum of diverse partnerships for families in underserved communities will foster links between the National Healthy Start Association experience and its value to your organization and yourself. The power of strengthening local and national partnerships with health care agencies and diverse community leaders cannot be underestimated for creating innovative and new ideas that address health care disparities and access issues.

National Healthy Start Association recognizes the value of a community-based perspective that impacts the most vulnerable families who are our primary recipients. Active participation from empowered consumers can serve as the cornerstone for improving access to care and eliminating disparities associated with infant mortality.

Data collection and research are crucial to understanding the status of birth outcomes, because analysis can only be as good as the data gathered. It is essential to improve data collection and analysis on local, regional, state and national levels to ensure that all populations are represented in a comprehensive and thorough manner.

The CEO and Board of Directors have made an unprecedented commitment to reach out to communities and become a champion for advocating and securing resources to ensure the needs of our memberships are met.

Finally, we salute Belinda Pettiford, our Past President, in recognition of her tireless dedication to National Healthy Start Association. We look forward to our joint partnership efforts with HRSA’s Division of Healthy Start and Perinatal Services to ensure that all babies born across the United States have a Healthy Start.

Cynthia Dean,
President

Introducing the New President

Cynthia Dean has served on the National Healthy Start Association’s Board of Directors since 2003. She is currently the CEO of the Missouri Bootheel Regional Consortium. Her professional background contains more than 24 years experience in grant funded programs. Ms. Dean also serves as Project Director for the Missouri Bootheel Healthy Start Project. Prior to joining Healthy Start, she served as Regional Director of Cardiovascular Health Programs for the State of Missouri Department of Health. She has worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a liaison with community-based health programs and academic institutions. Ms. Dean has received national, state and regional honors. She was appointed by the Missouri Attorney General to serve on the Missouri Foundation for Health Community Advisory Committee, where she currently serves as Chair. She has co-authored 12 published journal articles on the topics of Community-Based Risk Reduction prevention strategies in Underserved Populations.

From the CEO's Desk

Photo Caption: Peggy Sanchez Mills, CEO

Only five months ago, I joined the National Healthy Start Association as your CEO and I am so pleased to have done so! We have a tremendously committed organization that passionately believes in our mission. As I have met many leaders in the Maternal and Child Health arena, I am struck by the awareness of and respect for Healthy Start. You are represented across the country on panels, planning committees and are presenting at major conferences. You are talking to your Congressional members and explaining to them the importance and need for our reauthorization and an increased appropriation. Our collective strength is why we join national organizations, so that we can assure everyone throughout the country benefits.

Thank you to those who responded to my survey asking for input on what we do well and other areas we can assist. I will use your feedback as I move toward implementation of our work plan for the Association. Your consolidated responses are posted on the website for your convenience and I encourage you to review the summary.

I have several updates that I would briefly like to share with our members:

• Our website is being redesigned as many of you requested. Watch for the launch!
  
• Our Peer Learning Network is almost operational. This is a direct response to your request for the Association to serve as a hub for collecting best practices and sharing of information. Soon we will begin weekly "webinars" to train local projects to use this valuable resource. Watch for the announcement!
  
• We will soon unveil a new national logo that portrays who we are.
• You will receive in the mail an opportunity to save money with your unemployment costs. Watch for information on 501(c) Agencies Trust!
  
• Go to www.nassembly.org and click on Business Services Discount. As a member of the National Healthy Start Association, you can benefit with real financial savings in the purchasing of supplies, conference calling and other possibilities. If you are interested in learning more, please email me directly at psanchezmills@nationalhealthystart.org.

I thank you each for your plans and participation in Infant Mortality Awareness Month. Many of you have shared your activities with me and I very much appreciate knowing how creative and enthusiastic you are. Please continue to send me your reports. I also thank you for and encourage your continued diligence in sharing with your Congressional members the need for their support for our reauthorization and appropriation. Please join with me in conveying to Congress that it is not acceptable for babies to die and we need their help in stopping this national disgrace.

Peggy Sanchez Mills,
CEO

Pointers from Peggy

• Visit the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s web site at www.aecf.org to access the Race Matters toolkit featured at the National Healthy Start Association’s Spring Conference. Just put Race Matters into their search engine.
  
  
• Carryover requests should be made if and when appropriate.
  
  
• Send HRSA your data and reports on time so the country knows about the good work that you do. This is how the Healthy Start story gets told!

Two New Projects Join Healthy Start Family

The National Healthy Start Association welcomes two newly funded Projects to the Healthy Start family:

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