Project Grant H4953009

HEALTHY START INITIATIVE-ELIMINATING RACIAL/ETHNIC DISPARITIES - ADDRESS: 564 NIAGARA STREET, BUILDING 2, BUFFALO, NEW YORK PROJECT DIRECTOR: KIMBERLY BLACKS-PICKETT, RN PHONE: 718-973-9200 WEBSITE ADDRESS: CINQ.CARE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED FOR 5 YEARS: $5,500,000 CINQCARE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 12 MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH AND COMMUNITY-BASED STAKEHOLDERS, SUBMITS THIS FISCAL YEAR 2024 HEALTHY START INITIATIVE: ELIMINATING DISPARITIES IN PERINATAL HEALTH (HS) GRANT PROPOSAL, ENTITLED "HEALTHY STARTS FOR BUFFALO", TO THE HEALTH RESOURCES & SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA). THE PURPOSE OF THIS HS PROJECT IS TO MEASURABLY IMPROVE MOTHER AND BABY HEALTH OUTCOMES BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER PREGNANCY AND REDUCE RACIAL/ETHNIC DIFFERENCES IN THESE OUTCOMES AMONG BLACK RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK. CINQCARE ANTICIPATES THREE AREAS OF ACHIEVEMENT BY THE END OF THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD: 1. IMPROVEMENT, FROM BASELINE, ACROSS THE 10 HS BENCHMARK GOALS 2. ACHIEVEMENT OF AT LEAST FIVE COMMUNITY CONSORTIUM ACTION PLAN GOALS, AND THEIR RELATED PERFORMANCE MEASURES 3. REDUCTION, FROM BASELINE, IN DISPARITIES BETWEEN BLACK MOMS AND BABIES AND ALL MOMS AND BABIES IN THE PROJECT AREA ACROSS THE FOLLOWING ESTABLISHED MEASURES: LOW-BIRTH WEIGHT, PRETERM BIRTHS, AND INFANT MORTALITY. THE PROPOSED HS PROJECT WILL OPERATE IN THE ERIE COUNTY PROJECT AREA. THE HS PROJECT WILL TARGET THE POPULATION WITH THE HIGHEST IMR IN THE PROJECT AREA: BLACK RESIDENTS. CINQCARE IDENTIFIES THREE SYSTEMIC DRIVERS BEHIND IMR, ADVERSE PERINATAL OUTCOMES, AND DISPARITIES EXPERIENCED BY BLACK MOMS, BABIES, AND FAMILIES IN THE PROJECT AREA. THESE DRIVERS ARE: (1) PERSISTENT RACIAL SEGREGATION IN WESTERN NEW YORK; (2) HOUSEHOLD POVERTY THAT CORRELATES WITH RACIAL SEGREGATION; AND (3) FINANCIAL DISINCENTIVES FOR THE CARE SYSTEM - AND PARTICULARLY OBS - TO DELIVER HIGH QUALITY CARE WITH MEDICAID BENEFICIARIES. CINQCARE UNDERSTANDS THAT LATE INITIATION OF PRENATAL CARE, LOW BIRTHWEIGHTS, AND HIGHER RATES OF INFANT AND MATERNAL MORT ALITY AMONG BLACK MOMS AND BABIES IN THE PROJECT AREA ULTIMATELY RESULT FROM THESE THREE INEQUITIES. CINQCARE HAS SPOKEN WITH BUFFALO OBS, DOULAS, GOVERNMENT HEALTH OFFICIALS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION LEADERS, MEDICAID MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATIONS, AND HOSPITAL PROVIDERS WHO BELIEVE BETTER COORDINATION OF PERINATAL CARE FOR BLACK MOMS AND BABIES IS OVERDUE. THE EXPLICIT COMMITMENT OF EACH OF THESE STAKEHOLDERS TO THE PROJECT, COMBINED WITH CINQCARE'S NOVEL STRATEGIES FOR THIS HS PROJECT SHOULD MEANINGFULLY REDUCE ADVERSE PERINATAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AND DISPARITIES IN GREATER BUFFALO. CINQCARE WILL DELIVER HS REQUIRED ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING (1) DIRECT AND ENABLING SERVICES FOR HS PARTICIPANTS AND (2) COMMUNITY CONSORTIUM CONVENING. CINQCARE'S HS APPROACH IS INFORMED BY ERIE COUNTY'S PERINATAL HEALTH DISPARITIES AND OUTCOMES AS WELL AS THE MATERNAL AND INFANT SERVICE GAPS, PARTICULARLY FOR LOW-INCOME BLACK PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN AND CHILDREN. CINQCARE'S HS APPROACH IS CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND EQUITY-CENTERED, EVIDENCE-BASED, TEAM-DRIVEN, COLLABORATIVE, STRENGTHS AND FAMILY-FOCUSED, AND COMMUNITY-BASED.