Suntree United Methodist Church’s hosts an event each year called “Brevard Mission Week”, where their youth reach out and serve organizations in our local community. Healthy Start was honored to be one of those organizations again this year.

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In two days in June, Suntree United Methodist Church volunteered for Healthy Start with a total of 61 hours! Their youth groups packaged over 1,000 Prenatal and Postnatal gifts that are given to all pregnant women at their first OB/GYN visit when they are pregnant and all babies born at one of our birthing hospitals in Brevard County. Brevard county on average has 450 new pregnant women each month and close to 450 new babies born in Brevard each month, the youth members provided an invaluable service to Healthy Start this week that has us prepared for months to come.

We are always very happy to have the opportunity to be a part of their Brevard Mission Week. We are forever grateful for all that they have done for us. Thank you Suntree United Methodist Church and all of your youth members.

Healthy Start Coalition of Brevard would like to thank everyone at the Hampton Inn Cocoa Beach and Courtyard by Marriott Cocoa Beach for their generous donations to Healthy Start. Each quarter these two hotels choose fundraising activities to donate to. Healthy Start was honored to be chosen as one of their focuses for collecting donations for the month of May. Their thoughtful staff donated over $1,000 in baby clothes, diapers and supplies for the moms and babies of Brevard.

Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your monthly meeting and spreading awareness of Healthy Start to your wonderful staff.

Your contributions will go directly to the moms and babies of Brevard County in the Healthy Start program. Thank you again for supporting Healthy Start, we are grateful for your continued support.

This year’s World’s Greatest Baby Shower was held in Central Brevard at the Viera Regional Community Center located at 2300 Judge Fran Jamieson Way in Viera, FL. We invited all Brevard County pregnant women and new parents who have had a baby in the last two years to join us for the Worlds Greatest Baby Shower! The event was a great success and we were able to reach out to many women and families in Brevard County. Many thanks to Rockledge Regional Medical Center for being the Title Sponsor of this event and helping make this event happen. A special thank you to all of our medical professionals and Doctors that attended to provide these valuable classes to our attendees. The knowledge passed on was very appreciated to all those that attended.

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The World’s Greatest Baby Shower offered the following resources:

– Educational Exhibits: There were over 40 information stations on various topics such as: parenting, prenatal health, new baby care, community resources and more!
– Door Prizes: With the generous sponsorship from Rockledge Regional Medical Center and our local vendors that attended, we were able to provide hundreds of Baby Shower gifts to our attendees.
– Child Development Screenings: Help Me Grow Books, Balls & Blocks Play Area offered children from birth to age 8 child development screenings

Education Seminars That Were Held at The Worlds Greatest Baby Shower:

–Ask-A-Doc Panel: Kristy Brackett, BSN,RN, Director of Maternal Child Services at Rockledge Regional Medical Center; Dr.Nefertari Esemuede, MD and Dr. Javier Soto, MD, Obstetrician-Gynecologists at Partners in Women’s Health; Dr.Justin Cueto, Anesthesiologist at Rockledge Regional Medical Center; Margaret Nemthy,ARNP and Ali Bird, ARNP, Nurse Practitioners at Pediatrics of Brevard; Dr. Kristin Mirda, DMD Dentist at Sunshine Smiles
–Car Seat Safety: Presented by Gail Whitworth with UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County
–Safe Sleep For Your Baby: Presented by Phebe Powell with Brevard Cares
–Important Difference in Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression: Presented by Dr. Armando Fuentes, Chief of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Nemours Children’s Health System
*Attendees were entered into an additional drawing for bigger door prizes for attending Educational Seminars

We look forward to planning next year’s World’s Greatest Baby Shower. Stay tuned for dates and location.

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Hosted by: UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County, Healthy Start Coalition of Brevard, 
211 – Help Me Grow, and Brevard Parks and Recreation

Sponsored by: Rockledge Regional Medical Center

The following is a statement from Jennifer Schwalb Floyd, Executive Director, Healthy Start Coalition of Brevard County, regarding the Florida Legislature’s decision to maintain funding for Florida’s Healthy Start program:

“We applaud the Florida Legislature for maintaining funding for Florida’s Healthy Start program. The continued funding will allow us to continue to provide essential services and community interventions to Florida’s high-risk mothers and infants. Last year, Healthy Start Coalition of Brevard County served more than 5,000 at-risk mothers and infants in Brevard.”

In 1991, the Florida Legislature, at the urging of Governor Lawton Chiles, formed the Healthy Start Coalitions as a public-private partnership. Coalitions are responsible for developing and maintaining a system of care for pregnant women and babies in each community. Coalitions form partnerships with hospitals, obstetricians, County Health Departments and other nonprofits and programs to have a collective impact on birth outcomes.

Since it was established, Healthy Start has helped Florida make significant strides in increasing positive birth outcomes and reducing infant mortality by 35 percent. Our work is essential and far from complete, and this funding will allow our efforts to continue to make a positive impact on infant mortality, prematurity and healthy child development.

Healthy Start is currently working with the Florida Department of Health and Agency for Health Care Administration to develop a new care delivery structure that will reach into each community to increase our impact in helping Florida’s highest-risk mothers and babies and further ensure our services are providing the highest return on investment.

We thank the Florida Legislature for recognizing the value in investing in the health of our state’s most vulnerable families and helping us continue on this positive path of success.

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About The Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions
The Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions develops and supports local systems of care to optimize the health of moms, babies and families. The Association is made up of 32 individual coalitions from across the state. Each coalition uses data and research to design a service delivery plan unique to their community. Together, we unite to have a collective impact toward better outcomes for Florida’s families.
To learn more, visit www.fahsc.org.

Contact: Lisa Haferkamp
[email protected]
321-634-6101