New Coalition officers, members elected at 2022 annual meeting
The Coalition elected new officers and members at its annual meeting January 20th.
The new 2022 Board officers are:
- Pauline Drake, Esq., Chair. Judge Drake is a retired Duval County judge.
- Mark Hudak, MD, Vice Chair. Dr. Hudak is a neonatologist and chair of pediatrics at the UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville.
- Carol Neil, PhD, Secretary. Dr. Neil is a Professor of Nursing at Florida State College at Jacksonville and president of the First Coast Black Nurses Association
- Linda Forde, CPA, Treasurer. Ms. Forde is a partner with the Forde Firm and a new Coalition member.
The new 2022 Coalition members elected are:
- Linda Forde, CPA, The Forde Firm
- Kortney Wesley, District Director for Congressman Al Lawson, who represents Florida’s Fifth Congressional District
- Stephanie Thomas, Commercial Relationship Manager with Regions Bank
The Coalition also thanked the following members for their service:
- Dr. Stephen Baker, retired Professor with Jacksonville University, served for 14 years.
- Rev. Tommy Rodgers, a community advocate, served for 14 years.
- Janice Hawkins, with Sunshine Health, served for 10 years.
- Jeannie Bowles-Potthast, a former NICU parent and staff with UF Health, served for 10 years.
- Leslie Allen, a retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the area of Infant Mental Health in Duval County, served for eight years. Ms. Allen, a passionate advocate and long-time Coalition member, passed away in December 2021.
- Peggy Boord, Chief Financial Officer with Operation New Hope and outgoing Treasurer, served for three years.
- Dr. John Davis, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UF College of Medicine, served for three years.
- George Maxey, a community advocate, served for two years.
- Dr. Tiffanie Williams, founder of Liam Lives Foundation, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and outgoing Secretary, served for two years.
Regional infant mortality remains higher than state, nation
The regional infant mortality rate declined for the second year in a row, but continues to be significantly higher than state and national rates. The rate decreased from 7.3 to 7.1 deaths per 1000 live births, according to data recently released from the Florida Department of Health, compared to 5.8 deaths per 1000 live births at the state level, and 5.6 deaths nationally.
There were 128 babies who died before their first birthday during the year, the equivalent of eight classes of kindergarteners.
Racial disparities also persist: The infant death rate for white babies was 4.8 deaths per 1000 live births, compared to 12.8 deaths for black babies. Racial equity in birth outcomes is a key focus of the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition.
The leading causes of death in 2020 were:
- Other perinatal conditions, including maternal complications and bacterial sepsis (29.6 percent)
- Prematurity/Low Birth Weight (21 percent)
- Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUIDs), which were largely sleep-related (19.5 percent)
- Congenital anomalies (16.5 percent)
County infant mortality rates per 1000 live births:
- Baker: 11.2
- Clay: 5.2
- Duval: 7.8
- Nassau: 4.9
- St. Johns: 5.1
Other notable birth outcomes from 2020 include:
- There were 134 fetal deaths, or stillborns (7.5 fetal deaths per 1000 live births).
- Eleven percent of births were premature.
- There were two maternal deaths in Northeast Florida — one each in Duval and St. Johns counties.
March of Dimes report card rates nation, state and counties on maternal, child health measures
Duval County received an “F” grade, while Florida and the United States maintained their “D+” and “C-” grades on the 2021 March of Dimes Report Card, released annually during Prematurity Awareness Month. The report Card showcases the overall state of maternal and infant health in the United States, expanding from just premature birth to include measures for both mom and baby and policy solutions that can improve their health.
While the overall pre-term birth rate in the United States declined slightly, Florida’s rate of 10.5 percent resulted in a D+. Duval County received an F for its rate of 11.5 percent, the highest among the state’s largest counties and a worse rate than the previous year. Premature birth is a leading cause of infant death in Northeast Florida and across the country, and can lead to life-long health issues for infants that survive.
The report also notes that with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, pre-existing health disparities have been magnified. In Florida, the preterm birth rate among Black women is 53% higher than the rate among all other women, with similar disparities in Northeast Florida.
The March of Dimes included a social vulnerability index for each county in the state to show how the social determinants of health impact populations. The overall SVI for each county represents the amount of vulnerability relative to other counties in the state. Duval and Baker counties fared the worst based on the index.
On a policy level, Florida was noted for failing to expand Medicaid and not having legislation to increase access to doulas for Medicaid clients. The state does have a pending waiver to extend postpartum Medicaid and utilizes a Maternal Mortality Review Committee, although it does not review deaths up to a year after pregnancy ends. Florida does have several beneficial policies: a perinatal quality collaborative and a midwifery policy that allows the practice of direct entry midwives and certified nurse midwives.
Healthy Start and Coalition celebrate 30 years
The Healthy Start program and Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition are celebrating a special milestone: 30 years!
In 1991, faced with an alarmingly high infant mortality rate, then-Governor Lawton Chiles and First Lady Rhea Chiles convened a group of community leaders and challenged them to build local coalitions to improve birth outcomes. The result was the landmark Healthy Start program. Chiles signed Healthy Start into law on June 4, 1991, and the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition officially incorporated on November 18, 1991 to place control in the hands of the community, build systems of care and coordinate a diverse array of services on behalf of the highest-risk moms and babies.
Since the inception of the Coalition, more babies are now living to reach their first birthday. But while we have made significant strides in birth outcomes, there is still work to do until EVERY baby has a healthy start in life.
About the Coalition
The Coalition is one of 32 that make up the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions, an umbrella organization that develops and supports local systems of care to optimize the health of moms, babies and families. Together, the coalitions unite to have a collective impact toward better outcomes for Florida’s families.
The Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition has served more than 200,000 families in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties since its formation – through Healthy Start and a myriad of programs and initiatives developed based on the diverse needs of the community.
The Coalition carries out its mission by:
• Assessing maternal and child health status and available services to pinpoint needs and gaps;
• Planning and implementing a comprehensive, quality system of Healthy Start services, including universal risk screening for pregnant women and newborns; prenatal and infant care; and care coordination and related services for at-risk women and infants;
• Increasing community awareness of maternal and child health issues; and
• Directing state and other resources to programs and services that address specific community needs.
The organization’s commitment to collaboration and to addressing infant mortality within a broader community context provides the foundation for its planning and program development efforts. The Coalition’s work centers on three key areas: saving babies, strengthening families and building communities.
About Healthy Start
Healthy Start program provides education, support and proven interventions to expecting and new families who are at-risk of a poor birth outcome or delay in development. The program focuses on common issues or conditions that occur during pregnancy or in infancy. Screening, offered by prenatal care providers and hospitals, helps to identify families that could benefit from the program.
Healthy Start services are free, voluntary and tailored to a woman based on her needs. Services include parenting and breastfeeding education, emotional support, smoking cessation and more.
Locally, Healthy Start services are provided through subcontracts with Children’s Home Society (Duval and St. Johns residents), the Florida Department of Health Baker County (Baker and Clay residents), Florida Department of Healthy Duval County, Florida Department of Health Nassau County, Inspire to Rise (Duval residents) and UF Health Jacksonville (Duval residents).