BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Medicaid gave a $1.3 million grant to Butler County Educational Service Center in an effort to curb infant mortality among African-American babies in the county.
Last year, the amount of black babies who died before their first birthday was triple the amount of white babies who died before turning one, according to the Butler County Educational Service Center.
The rate for infant mortality among black babies continues to rise, despite an overall decrease in infant mortality in Ohio, according to Maureen Corcoran, director of the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
“Ohio Medicaid is the state’s largest insurer for pregnancy and postpartum care, and we know it is our moral duty to collaborate with local stakeholders to close the racial disparity gap,” Corcoran said in a statement.
Butler County Educational Service Center will use the grant to coordinate a community-wide coalition comprised of eight organizations. The coalition will work together to unify outreach and referral processes, share data and monitor progress.
The group will also work to eliminate racial bias at the organizational and individual level through training.
The following projects will be funded through fiscal agent Butler County Educational Service Center over the next two years:
- Butler County Educational Service Center will be funded to provide a coordinator for the project, one community health worker focused in Fairfield to provide Purple Tabletop Groups, and half of one central intake worker. Total funding: $355,146
- Atrium will be funded to provide researched based intervention of Centering Pregnancy and a community health worker. Total funding: $124,096
- Butler County Health District will be funded for two community health workers focused in Hamilton and Butler County and provide Purple Tabletop Groups. Total funding: $225,151
- Butler County Family & Children First Council will be funded to provide four training events for community health workers and the medical community. Total funding: $40,000
- Community Building Institute, Inc. will be funded to provide two community health workers focused on Middletown and Purple Tabletop Groups. Total funding: $187,409
- Centerpoint Health will be funded to provide a part-time community health worker to support the Centering Pregnancy Program. Total funding: $33,779
- Help Me Grow – Brighter Futures will be funded to provide two part-time nurses to implement the Nurse Family Partnership home visiting model. Total funding: $170,000
- Sojourner Recovery Services will be funded to provide one community health worker focused on Hamilton Purple Tabletop Groups. Total funding: $78,368
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