Heart of Georgia Healthy Start Coalition, Inc.

OUR MISSION: To develop a collaborative effort to advocate for the well-being of infants and families through the promotion and support of positive health behaviors.

Serving infants, families, and the community in Bleckley, Dodge, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Pulaski, Telfair, Treutlen, Wheeler, and Wilcox Counties in middle Georgia through local, state, and national partnerships.

♥      Dollars…Finding grant funds for special projects such as the Heart of Georgia Healthy  Start Initiative, Stork’s Nest, and SIDS Risk Reduction.

♥      Speaking up…Advocacy efforts on behalf of babies and families such as the Spring Educational Conference in Washington, DC (as part of the National Healthy Start Association) and the Healthy Start Legislative Reception (a project of the four Georgia Healthy Start sites).

♥        Working together…Bringing individuals and organizations together as partners to decrease infant mortality and perinatal health disparities.

This Year: Highlights of local, state, and national partnerships:

©      HGHSI provided Certified Lactation Counselor training for 42 perinatal care providers in the SCHD in July 2007. That placed highly trained professional lactation counselors in all 10 counties.

©      HGHSC and HGHSI are continuing to partner with Georgia WIC to provide the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program to families in the SCHD. 

©      HGHSI enrolled 708 women and babies in care coordination and the Healthy Start Advocacy program.

©      HGHSI served 651 women and babies under lactation services.

©      Additional Community Participants including child-bearing families and health professionals were impacted through continuing education, health education and parenting classes, support groups, health fairs, community events, and the media.

©      HGHSC worked collaboratively with all the organizations listed below to promote perinatal health locally, regionally, and beyond.

Our Partners: 

v    South Central Health District

v   Department of Health and Human Services Health Resource Services Administration Maternal Child Health Bureau

v    Georgia Division of Public Health Family Health Branch

v    USDA/FNS and Georgia WIC

v    Heart of Georgia United Way

v    Medical Center of Central Georgia

v    Governor’s Council on Maternal & Infant Health

v    Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia

v    National Healthy Start Association

v    March of Dimes—Middle Georgia Division

v    Georgia Breastfeeding Task Force

v    C J Foundation for SIDS

v    HGHSC Member Organizations and Agencies

Join HGHSC— The Heart of Georgia Healthy Start Coalition welcomes your participation. All members of the community are invited to join- parents, grandparents, health care professionals, social service professionals, businesses, and organizations. Complete a Membership Affirmation Form and call us about current meeting information. It’s that easy to get involved- because you care. Please complete a contact form and we will email, mail or fax the Membership Affirmation Form to you.  Membership is free. 

Meetings—The Coalition meets 10 times a year on the 2^nd Tuesday of the month for lunch. Speakers update professionals and parents about perinatal, women’s, men’s, and family health issues. Reports by committees and partners update the membership on current projects.

v   Advocacy/Publicity Committee – educating legislators and advocating for Healthy Start.

v   Breastfeeding Committee – breastfeeding promotion projects.

v   Collaborative Development/Membership  Committee – develop partnerships.

v   Community Resources Committee – resource guides for all ten committees.

v   Consumer Recruitment Committee – develop consumer skills to advocate for themselves, their babies, and Healthy Start with legislators and other officials. Consumers have the opportunity to become community leaders.

v   Executive Committee – coordination and oversight of coalition activities.

v   Men to Men Committee – programming for fathers.

v   Sustainability Committee – prepare grant applications to fund projects.

v   SIDS/Infant Well-Being Committee – infant health and safety projects including the SIDS Risk Reduction Crib Program.

v   Teen/Youth Issues Committee – health and safe behavior promotion for teens.

v   Tobacco Prevention/Smoking Cessation Committee – collaborate with other local groups to educate pre-teens and teens, provide smoking cessation training, and promote legislation to protect the public from second-hand smoke.

v   Women’s Health Committee – women’s health fairs with education and screening.