State Partner Spotlights
This page includes partner spotlights about state organizations featured in Text4baby Tuesday. Read on for some great promotional ideas!
4/19/2016 - Increasing Enrollment through Medicaid in California
From February 2016 through March 2016, Text4baby implemented an innovative enrollment strategy with California's Medicaid Agency, Medi-Cal, to increase Text4baby enrollment in the Medicaid population. Text4baby sent opt-in message invitations to Medi-Cal beneficiaries across the state, resulting in 4,229 new Text4baby enrollees and a 273% increase in monthly enrollment overall. Way to go California!
6/9/2015 - WIC Helps Florida Lead the State Enrollment Contest
The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade, WIC and Nutrition Program has led a two month effort to engage moms at its various clinics and encourage them to sign up for the Text4baby service. The leadership and staff participated in a two month competition to see which WIC site could enroll the highest number of moms, in exchange for bragging rights, accolades from their colleagues, and a sweet treat celebration - think ice cream, cake, sprinkles, and fun. Moms were informed about the Text4baby service and encouraged to enroll, while benefiting from some beautiful collateral materials produced thorough a separate partnership between the Florida Department of Health and the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida. Over the 8 week period, over 1,700 enrollments can be likely attributed to the Miami-Dade WIC campaign. The percent increase over this time period was about 559% when compared with enrollment during the 8-weeks prior to the campaign. Way to go Miami, you are an example to emulate!
2/24/2015 - Teamwork and Friendly Competition Create Successful Text4baby Challenge in SC
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC), South Carolina enrolled nearly 2,800 new Text4baby parents between August 1, 2014 and October 31, 2014. Focusing on teamwork, SC DHEC’s four regional public health teams launched a twelve-week challenge to help increase enrollment numbers across the state. To prepare for the challenge, department staff was trained to enroll new and expectant parents directly. As the challenge progressed, over 80,000 Text4baby promotional postcards were mailed to WIC recipients and 40,000 e-mails were sent to SC DHEC clients and partners. From November 1, 2014-December 31 2014, 1,100 new individuals signed up for Text4baby, reaching a combined total of nearly 4,000 since the challenge began. With staff training and direct enrollment accounting for much of South Carolina's increased enrollment, the success of the campaign is a true testament to staff's teamwork and commitment. For more information about the challenge, please see SC DHEC’s public health blog. Great job, SC DHEC!
1/27/2015 - DSHS Text4baby Prenatal Care Challenge
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has launched the Text4baby Prenatal Care Challenge. This challenge aims to actively encourage the promotion of Text4baby, as a tool for women during pregnancy and the first year of the baby’s life, in 35 counties with the lowest prenatal care rates as identified by DSHS. The contest will run from January 26th to June 30th, and DSHS will track which counties yield the highest number of moms enrolled in the service. In early June, individuals from organizations in the winning counties will be eligible to receive scholarships to the much anticipated Healthy Texas Babies – A Life Course Conference, which is schedule to take place in Houston, TX on June 22nd thru the 24th. In July, the top-performing county from Jan. 26 through June 30, 2015 will be recognized with a press event. The press event will be an opportunity to highlight the outreach efforts of all the outreach partners in that county. A secondary prize for most innovative enrollment tactic from all the counties involved will also be awarded, whether or not from among the outreach partners in the winning county. Good luck to the participating counties and thanks to DSHS for launching such great initiative!
12/9/2014 - University of Maryland Brings Text4baby to the Healthy Futures Program
The University of Maryland Department of Public Health has recently incorporated Text4baby into their existing Healthy Futures Program, which serves low-income women and children in Prince George’s County, Maryland. With the ultimate goal of reducing childhood obesity, Healthy Futures aims to increase use of prenatal and postpartum healthcare services and connect women to appropriate social services as well as identifying children with developmental delays. They have connected the mothers they serve to Text4baby through distribution of materials at area WIC clinics and a recent two-day effort to enroll patients at the Pregnancy Aid Center. Text4baby outreach activities to area obstetricians are planned for 2015, and we look forward to seeing continued impact through those efforts!
10/21/2014 - California Partners Team up to Boost Enrollment among Medicaid Population
CDPH is hosting a Text4baby enrollment competition for Comprehensive Perinatal Service Program (CPSP) providers across California. CPSP provides a wide range of services to Medi-Cal pregnant women, from conception through 60 days postpartum. CPSP providers who enroll at least 10 moms in Text4baby over the course of two months will be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card. The CPSP provider who enrolls the most mothers overall will receive a $100 gift card and accolades at the annual CPSP conference.
DHCS is also focusing efforts on the Medi-Cal population by including a promotional Text4baby flyer with all new Medi-Cal cards. The Medi-Cal mailing began this fall and will continue through 2015, disseminating a total of 1.2 million Text4baby flyers. These efforts are helping spur enrollment, with a 40% enrollment increase this past week (from 299 participants to 419 participants). Way to go, California!
9/16/2014 - Ohio Partners Kick-off the Ohio Department of Health's 2-year Text4baby
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and Text4baby partners across the state, including the Ohio Department of Medicaid, Ohio WIC, ODH Safe Sleep, Cleveland Department of Public Health’s MomsFirst Project, kicked-off ODH’s 2 year Text4baby Initiative with support from The George Gund Foundation. The Initiative’s goal is to utilize Text4baby to help low-income and traditionally underserved pregnant women and moms get direct access to health services, increase knowledge about critical health topics and facilitate communication with medical providers. Right away, Ohio is off to a great start! They worked together with the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) to include Text4baby print materials in their Safe Sleep Kit diaper bags. About 25,000 are being distributed soon to over 100 birthing hospitals that are a part of OHA’s current Safe Sleep initiative.
Coming up soon is the Ohio Head Start Association’s annual statewide meeting where ODH will have the opportunity to share information on Text4baby and all the efforts underway in the state.Text4baby will also exhibit at the Ohio Infant Mortality Summit in early December. These activities are just the beginning of the exciting Text4baby outreach beginning in Ohio. Wonderful work, Ohio. Looking forward to upcoming successes getting more moms enrolled across the state!
6/10/2014 - Text4baby Expanded Reach in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia based Centering Care Groups
Through a partnership with Centering Healthcare Institute and their local programs nationwide, Text4baby has expanded reach to thousands of pregnant women enrolled in Centering care groups.
In Louisiana, Text4baby has been included in the Centering Pregnancy model in four Louisiana hospitals serving high-risk populations. The Strong Start initiative is supporting providers to facilitate extended group prenatal care visits and provide increased health education, which includes a specialized Text4baby component to encourage discussion of specific topics during group visits and use of appointment reminders. Text4baby training and materials are provided to group facilitators to encourage their participants to enroll.
In Pennsylvania, Centering Groups at the Einstein Medical Center are utilizing Text4baby to promote appointment reminders and resources. Einstein has created custom Text4baby messages that further promote their Centering model, and the Text4baby enrollment button now lives on their website.
Throughout Virginia, customized messages are being sent to all English and Spanish Text4baby subscribers in zip codes that fall within the vicinity where Centering is offered. A training session —hosted by March of Dimes in Fredericksburg, Virginia — reviewed Text4baby and promotional resources for group facilitators in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
5/13/2014 - Oklahoma Health Care Authority Flash Mob and Enrollment Booth
The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) and its partners in the Oklahoma City area are promoting Text4baby through community events and other grassroots efforts to engage local moms. They recently organized a Text4baby flash mob and enrollment booth at the Just Between Friends Sale, a local consignment sale attended by thousands of women and families from across the state. Wearing Text4baby t-shirts, the dancers performed for the crowd lined up outside the sale venue, followed by a pregnant Text4Baby advocate who spoke about the service and its value for pregnant women and new mothers. This event generated a lot of excitement on social media and helped to increase enrollment by about 98%. Watch the flash mob on the Text4baby YouTube page
here!
1/14/2014 - Text4baby Mini-Grants Significantly Increased Enrollmeny in Kansas!
The Kansas Early Childhood Advisory Council and Kansas Project LAUNCH awarded $40,000 in mini-grants to promote technology designed for providing mothers with quick access to essential health information. Communities used the funding to develop public awareness strategies to increase enrollment in Text4baby.
Public awareness strategies implemented across 32 programs included local radio or television Text4baby PSAs, print materials, movie advertisements, promotional materials, community baby showers, health fairs and increased social media. Several new collaborations were reported with health departments, hospitals, medical clinics, physician’s offices, police departments, Parents as Teachers, WIC clinics, one local movie theatre and several preschools. 75% of respondents reported increased awareness and utilization in their community as the principal responses.
Here are a few quotes from Kansas mini-grantees:
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“New and expectant parents are aware of the appropriate development of their baby and look forward to their text messages each week.”
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“Our community benefits by improving access to important health information.”
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“More parents can be reached through Text4baby than we can see through our program.”
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“Easier for new and expecting parents to have access to accurate and timely information about their child.”
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“We have a fairly large at-risk population in our community. I see Text4baby as an important tool to reach families who need support in parenting.”
The campaign results showed that despite initial skepticism, many individuals saw the benefits of Text4baby.
Lessons from the campaign reinforced that:
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Reaching parents in need of support requires persistence and efforts from many angles
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Text4baby is great in its simplicity as one important way to reach out to young parents
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Making the program successful as well as successful promotion takes the efforts of all staff members to believe in and be knowledgeable about the program.
The Text4baby enrollment rate held steady for the first 3.5 years of the program, t (105.332) = -1.796, p = .075, for both grantee and non-grantee counties. In the four months since the grant money was disbursed, enrollment in Text4baby increased significantly as a result of the grantee program, t (106.460), p < .001. This increase was significant for both groups of counties. The grantee counties had, by far, the most significant increase in new enrollments (see Figure 1).
Based on these results and feedback, the Text4baby grantee program has been deemed very effective. In the four months since the grant money was disbursed, there was a very large increase in Text4baby enrollment in the counties that received the grants. However, counties that did not directly receive the grants also experienced a smaller, but significant increase in Text4baby enrollment.
11/26/2013 - North Dakota Chapter of the March of Dimes
North Dakota partners have been doing an excellent job promoting the service throughout the state. The
North Dakota Chapter of the March of Dimes has continued to lead statewide efforts and have successfully placed both Text4baby PSAs on local cable stations over 500 times per month. Additionally, they launched an “Off the Wall” bathroom stall campaign which features a few different print ads, geared towards men and women, posted in bathroom stalls of a variety of businesses. Keep up the wonderful work, North Dakota!
11/12/2013 - Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
The
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) continues to support text4baby by extending its contract to offer a customized version of the service in the state and by promoting text4baby at local events. Custom text4baby makes it easy for moms to connect to state-specific hotlines and resources. Missouri was the first state to offer a customized version of the service, and is demonstrating a continued commitment to connecting Missouri moms to critical health and safety information with this extension. Additionally, DHSS will be exhibiting at the Native American Symposium in Kansas City on November 14 and distributing culturally relevant text4baby flyers to participants. Thanks to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for its ongoing support of text4baby.
11/5/2013 - 2013 Text4baby State Enrollment Contest Winners
Below are summaries of the 2013 Text4baby State Enrollment Contest Winners.
North Carolina partners, including the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation, won the large state category by enrolling 4,882 new women during the contest period. Between July and August 2013, North Carolina partners paid for text4baby television advertisement airings throughout the state on cable stations in major city markets. These advertisements and other promotional efforts resulted in thousands of local women signing up for text4baby’s free health and safety messages.
Arkansas led throughout the contest because of an innovative media campaign with press releases, billboards, and a media tour; and the grassroots efforts of local African-American sororities in the SISTERS United program who hosted text4baby awareness events for local women, including baby showers, vigils and community events. These diverse efforts helped connect 1,938 new Arkansas women to text4baby’s valuable health and safety information throughout the contest.
2012 winner South Dakota rose to the top again in 2013. The state’s keys to victory included the South Dakota Department of Health providing text4baby information, posters, and tearpads to WIC offices, hospitals, domestic violence shelters, providers, and organizations across the state. These strategies helped spread the word about text4baby statewide and enroll 525 new women.
10/15/2013 - Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition - Montana Chapter
Text4baby partners in Montana continue to do fantastic work promoting the service around the state. Earlier this summer, the
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Montana Chapter secured a Lamar Outdoor Advertising Billboard promoting the service in Billings. Recently, on September 25th and 26th in collaboration with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (MT DPHHS), they sent out almost 7,000 letters to pregnant Medicaid beneficiaries statewide advocating for text4baby. Due to this mailing, there was a huge spike in text4baby enrollment that week with 81 participants enrolling, compared to an average before the spike of 8 enrollees per week (a 913% increase!). The increase continued the next week with 40 participants enrolling (a 400% increase). We applaud Montana’s great work and look forward to more success!
9/10/2013 - University of Delaware’s Center for Disabilities Studies and Delaware partners
Delaware partners have been connecting more local women to text4baby’s free health and safety messages because of innovative promotional efforts across the state. State partners have been spreading the word at the Early Childhood Interagency Council meetings and with local WIC nutritionists and staff. They have also exhibited and shared text4baby resources at two breastfeeding conferences with the Delaware Dept. of Health and WIC and through the Wilmington, Delaware Health Ambassadors program. Delaware partners are also providing unique text4baby giveaways to pregnant women and new moms, like a popular text4baby fridge magnet (picture below) that has resulted in a 10% jump in enrollment. Keep up the great work Delaware!
8/20/2013 - Arkansas Department of Health’s Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities and Arkansas Partners
The
Arkansas Department of Health’s Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities is helping the state take the lead during the 2013 Text4baby State Enrollment Contest. Arkansas has remained the overall contest winner in the medium state category with a 70% spike in enrollment which is a result of an aggressive media campaign including press releases, text4baby-branded pop-up banners (see below), billboards and a media television tour by Dr. David Grimes, the Branch Chief for Family Health, who has been discussing text4baby on morning and evening newscasts. African American sororities are also helping Arkansas boost the number of women who sign up by hosting baby showers, vigils and community events with pregnant women and new moms. Keep up the momentum Arkansas!
8/13/2013 - Immunize Nevada and Nevada Partners
Nevada partners have been promoting text4baby to moms throughout the state at conferences, expos and through insurance plans. Text4baby will be featured in the keynote address at their 2013 Nevada Health Conference in October as a preventative care initiative for insurance companies.
Immunize Nevada attended various conferences and community events this summer where they have provided text4baby materials and giveaways to pregnant women and new moms. They attended the
2013 Baby Expo at the Atlantis Hotel and Casino in Reno where they signed up 50 moms and raffled a free Medela breast pump. These efforts increased the number of participants in that county by 108%. Keep up the great work Nevada!
8/6/2013 - South Carolina Text4baby Coalition
The South Carolina Text4baby Coalition is competing in the 2013 State Enrollment Contest through
media events, community outreach and state programs. One such effort, Columbia Kid's Day, featured coalition members South Carolina Children's First, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and Low County Healthy Start promoting the service at the event’s health fair. The 2,500 Columbia residents learned about text4baby through materials, remarks and prizes for families. Additionally, the Riley Institute and South Carolina First Steps have supported text4baby through direct promotion of the service to the Diversity Leaders Program and to elected officials throughout the state. These initiatives will support South Carolina’s efforts to win the Enrollment Contest. Great job South Carolina!
7/30/2013 - Minnesota Department of Health
Funded through their HHS Office of Adolescent Health’s Pregnancy Assistance Fund grant, the
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently launched a text4baby campaign on July 15 running through the end of August 2013. The campaign promotes text4baby through 6 billboards (4 in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and 2 in rural MN: Austin and Worthington), 20 bus shelters ads in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, and large-scale ads in the Mall of America. The bus shelter ads are close to colleges and universities that have funding through MDH’s Student Parent Support Grant. Fantastic job by the MDH, keep up the great work!
7/16/2013 - Oklahoma State Department of Health and Oklahoma Health Care Authority
Text4baby partners in Oklahoma, led by the
Oklahoma State Department of Health and
Oklahoma Health Care Authority, have been busy promoting text4baby to pregnant women and moms across the state. The state is spreading the word through its
Preparing for a Lifetime, It’s Everyone’s Responsibility initiative on the program’s
website and on social media. Additionally, county health departments will be enrolling women who find out they are pregnant during appointments, and local partners are distributing 51,000 pharmacy bags promoting text4baby. Thanks so much to partners across the state of Oklahoma for all you are doing to support text4baby!
7/9/2013 - Kansas Early Childhood Advisory Council, University of Kansas, and Kansas Project LAUNCH
The
Kansas Early Childhood Advisory Council,
University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research, and
Kansas Project LAUNCH are offering $1,000 in mini-grant awards to encourage work that will increase awareness and enrollment in text4baby. These funds can be used to buy ad placement on local radio or television, produce promotional materials, including flyers, pens, buttons, onesies and bibs, or host community baby showers, health fairs or other events. Awardees have to begin the text4baby campaign in the target community within 30 days of award, become a text4baby partner, promote text4baby in an OB/GYN office or other health care setting, and provide information on the results of the campaign. They received 53 applications and will fund $40,000 total. The deadline to apply was June 21. We look forward to announcing the award recipients soon, great work Kansas!
6/18/2013 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ (WVDHHR)
Right From The Start Program participated in the First Annual WV Home Visitation Conference in May and promoted text4baby information to attendees. Right From The Start connects pregnant women to "care coordinators" who help women have a healthy pregnancy, sign up for text4baby, and access low-cost health coverage. Text4baby promotional materials and pins were distributed to their field staff of 170 Designated Care Coordinators and 8 Regional Care Coordinators during the conference. Thanks WVDHHR!
5/28/2013 - The Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii
The
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii is promoting text4baby through advertising and local events. HMHB-Hawaii included text4baby in their
Click, Text or Call TV Public Service Announcement (PSA) Campaign. The five TV PSAs focus on maternal health issues, such as breastfeeding, safe sleep, healthy nutrition, postpartum depression awareness and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) prevention. The PSAs are airing on the local ABC station affiliate throughout Hawaii. HMHB-Hawaii also promoted text4baby in the
UnitedHealthcare New Baby Expo, raffling a gift basket with baby products, courtesy of Johnson & Johnson. Over 600 individuals attended the expo and benefited from information about birthing, baby development, infant care and more. Mahalo HMHB-Hawaii!
5/7/2013 - New York State Department of Health
The
New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) kicked off a targeted text4baby media and marketing campaign on April 15 that is already yielding spikes in enrollment. The campaign focuses on six high need urban areas (Erie, Monroe, Onondaga, Albany, Westchester, and the Bronx). NYS DOH is running a digital campaign promoting text4baby with paid Facebook advertising targeting 18-35 year-old women in New York. Last week, thanks to these efforts, 441 participants enrolled in text4baby, a 221% increase compared to the four week average. Since the campaign launched in April, over 1,000 new participants have enrolled in text4baby in New York. Thanks to the New York State Department of Health for these successful marketing efforts!
4/23/2013 - Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
The
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MO DHSS) is sending three immunization-specific messages to Missouri moms this week in honor of National Infant Immunization Week. Missouri was the first state to offer a customized version of text4baby, which allows them to send up to 12 additional broadcast messages to moms each year. The state’s customized immunization messages contain information on how mothers can get free/low-cost vaccinations and the Tdap vaccine to protect baby from pertussis. Thanks Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for raising awareness among text4baby moms about the importance of infant immunizations during this commemorative week!
3/26/2013 - Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies - The Montana Coalition
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies – The Montana Coalition (HMHB-MT) is leading the charge to promote text4baby across the state. In partnership with the Early Childhood Services Bureau and the Department of Public Health and Human Services, they are distributing text4baby information in materials and online. Innovative activities include a print ad in Montana Parent magazine, a contest on the new
Text4baby Montana Facebook page, and participation in the Montana Nonprofit Association Day at the Capitol. Keep up the great work, HMHB-MT and other Montana partners!
3/19/2013 - Louisiana Office of Public Health Bureau of Family Health
The
Louisiana Office of Public Health Bureau of Family Health promotes text4baby in New Orleans hospitals by providing tearpads and personalized factsheets on how to educate moms about the service. Their Maternal and Child Health Coordinators also work across the state to encourage women to use text4baby as a resource during pregnancy and babies first year. Thanks to the LA Bureau of Family Health for spreading the word about text4baby.
3/5/2013 - New York State Department of Health
This week the New York State Department of Health announced its partnership with text4baby to combat the state’s low birth weight issue. About 8 percent of all babies born in New York state are low birth weight, a rate that has remained the same for more than a decade and improving the health of mothers and babies is one of the priorities in New York, said Dr. Nirav R. Shah, Commissioner of the NY DoH. “Information is a vital tool for pregnant women and new mothers, and the state Health Department is pleased to offer a new resource to ensure babies have a healthy start in life,” said Shah. “Text4baby will deliver messages on a range of topics so that mothers can learn about critical care issues such as nutrition and immunizations." Thanks New York State Department of Health for your continued support of women, babies, and text4baby.
2/19/2013 - Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Children's Special Health Program and Newborn Screening Program
In September 2012, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s (IDHW) Children's Special Health Program Department and the Newborn Screening Program Department worked with Idaho Medicaid to send an
informative mailing about the text4baby service to all pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid. After the mailing, there were significant spikes in Idaho’s enrollment (see more details,
here). Just recently, they coordinated another mailing to all pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid in Idaho, yielding a 625% increase in text4baby enrollment. Referral data clearly showed that the spike was a result of the mailing, with about 75% of Idaho users reporting that they were referred to text4baby by a health department/health plan. IDHW plans on continuing this outreach tactic every 6 months. Keep up the great work, Idaho!
2/5/2013 - The Arkansas Department of Health’s Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities
The Arkansas Department of Health’s Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities hosted their first SISTERS United Training Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. SISTERS United is a community-based initiative with African-American sororities, physicians, nurses, social workers, public health professionals, students, educators, and faith-based leaders.Together, they work to address the state’s infant mortality rates and improve birth outcomes. Conference attendees learned about infant mortality statistics, breastfeeding, folic acid consumption, safe sleep, and key interventions like text4baby to promote healthier moms and babies in Arkansas.
1/22/2013 - Baby's Bounty
Baby’s Bounty is getting the word out about text4baby! This Las Vegas, Nev. based non-profit provides free baby clothing, gear, and toiletries to over 50 disadvantaged families every month. Since launching in 2008, they have assisted over 2,000 families in need. In addition to supplies, Baby’s Bounty offers vital health and safety information to parents regarding safe sleep practices, child abuse prevention, developmental charts, immunization guidelines, and text4baby. Baby’s Bounty is opening affiliates in New Jersey and Maryland this year where they will also promote text4baby. Thanks for all your great work Baby’s Bounty!
12/18/2012 - Louisiana Office of Public Health, Maternal and Child Health Program
The Louisiana Office of Public Health, Maternal and Child Health Program continues to coordinate the efforts of partners around the state to ensure that more pregnant women and moms with infants have access to text4baby and the critical health information it provides. Earlier this year, a Louisiana state resolution passed (HCR 84) that “Urges and requests the Department of Health and Hospitals and the LA Hospital Association to promote and encourage all hospitals and medical clinics that receive state dollars to promote the text4baby initiative.” Meanwhile the Office of Public Health has been encouraging hospitals and clinics to become partners and incorporate promotion of the service into their processes.
To assist with outreach to new partners, the Office of Public Health has developed a Louisiana-specific fact sheet with an overview, list of partners, info on becoming a partner, Louisiana-specific enrollment data, and sample outreach strategies. The sheet also includes a quote from Senator Mary Landrieu: “Text4baby is an innovative program that serves as a model for public health outreach and wellness efforts. In Louisiana, we have a high rate of babies born pre-term or at a low birth weight, and higher than average rates of infant mortality. We must do everything we can to improve these tragic statistics, and the text4baby program can be an important part of the solution. I look forward to seeing even more women in Louisiana signing up for text4baby.” Thanks to the combined efforts of partners around the state, over 10,000 Louisiana moms have already benefited from the service.
12/11/2012 - Utah Department of Health Office of Health Disparities
After community assessments by the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) Office of Health Disparities (ODH) identified that many of their target populations get their information from social media and texting, OHD decided text4baby was the intervention they needed. OHD is actively promoting text4baby to community partners such as Comunidades Unidas, who are reaching out to Spanish-speaking Utahans with education classes for women and their partners during pregnancy, and Project Fresh Start, which promotes text4baby among African Americans at local universities and churches. The UDOH Tribal Health Liaison is also promoting among eight tribal communities. In addition, OHD is exploring ways to promote the service to Pacific Islanders, including developing a text4baby poster for that audience. Utah's Baby Your Baby program promotes the service by including information on how to enroll with each Baby Your Baby keepsake book that is mailed to expectant mothers. With culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach information and materials, text4baby is serving as a valuable tool to help UDOH eliminate birth outcomes disparities in Utah!
12/4/2012 - U.S. Virgin Islands First Lady and Community Partners
First Lady Cecile de Jongh in partnership with the Family Connection; a program of the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, and the Early Childhood Advisory Committee - a committee of the governor’s Children and Families Council, hosted two text4baby baby showers in St. Thomas and St. Croix on November 18th and December 2nd, respectively. These two events welcomed expectant moms, dads and other community members. “It’s wonderful to see all the mothers, fathers, and children here—what a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon,” the first lady said before thanking the new parents for signing up for the text4baby free text messaging service. We thank the First Lady, her office and community partners who were critical in successfully hosting events with the participation of over 40 moms and more than a dozen proud dads. Click here for more information.
11/20/2012 - Texas Department of State Health Services
Texas Department of State Health Services recently launched “Some Day Starts Now,” (El Algún Día Empieza Ahora), a multimedia public awareness campaign to support the Healthy Texas Babies initiative, a statewide effort to reduce infant mortality. The campaign features a series of public service announcements (PSA) for radio and TV and a Website with links to text4baby, a Life Planning Tool, Birth Plan, Maps for New Dads, web resources from the March of Dimes, patient work sheet, posters, and videos for providers on the importance of breastfeeding, preconception care and partner involvement in pregnancy, and effectively communicating with parents about the importance of a 39-week gestation. There is also a press kit for organizations that join the campaign to use in spreading the word. Thanks to our Texas partners for making us a part of this initiative.
11/13/2012 - Oklahoma Health Care Authority
The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA), which administers Oklahoma’s Medicaid/CHIP (SoonerCare), is working with state and community partners to spread the word about text4baby by promoting the service during parenting classes, health fairs, and through social media. OHCA has promoted text4baby through its high risk OB outreach program and sent fax blasts to SoonerCare providers to encourage them to promote the service to their patients. OHCA is also working with hospital partners to get text4baby included as part of a packet given to moms at the hospital when her baby is born. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority will also be training staff across the agency to ensure all units know about text4baby and how they can promote the service in their outreach. To accomplish this, staff across departments will receive a brief training that includes information about text4baby and materials that are available for distribution at health fairs, conferences, and other events. OHCA has also added information about text4baby onto their website, and is including information about the service in their member handbook that is distributed to all those enrolled in SoonerCare health coverage. Finally, OHCA is adding the text4baby enrollment link to their SoonerCare online enrollment and electronic newborn enrollment applications. Thanks OHCA!
8/21/2012 - Nevada State Health Division
The Nevada State Health Division (NSHD) has been doing an excellent job getting the word out about text4baby! Beginning in June, NSHD led an effort to secure text4baby radio spots on various stations throughout Nevada. And they've had a great response! NSHD issued a press release, conducted a radio interview for KUNR, and supported a text4baby placement in the Newborn Babies: A Guide to Healthy Babies special insert in the Reno News and Review. They recently formed a partnership with Access to HealthCare Network to provide new enrollees seeking prenatal care with text4baby information. They have about 75 new enrollees per month who will receive a canvas tote with text4baby swag, and if they enroll at their appointment they will be entered into a drawing for a breast pump! NSHD also collaborated with Amerigroup to provide 42 providers with text4baby tearpad sheets, posters, and other goodies and they're working with their home visiting program to send out information. Big back-to-school events are also planned next week in Las Vegas. Lastly, to top off an impressive list of outreach activities, NSHD is working to get the text4baby PSAs placed in movie theaters. Keep up the great work, NSHD!
8/7/2012 - North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation
The North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation (NCHSF) has shared a resource that contributed to their success! NCHSF has generously shared their PSA for other partners to use around the country. Check out the national PSA and feel free to use it as you reach out to stations in your community. In 2011, North Carolina launched this text4baby television PSA, funded by a NC DHHS Pregnancy Assistance Fund grant. The PSA ran for an entire month on popular channels and was posted on Young Moms Connect (YMC), a website for young moms looking for health and safety information and resources. The PSA had an immediate and significant impact, resulting in an enrollment increase and propelling NC from 17th place to the number one spot at that point in the 2011 Text4baby State Enrollment Contest. In July 2012, YMC promotion led to the NC text4baby TV Ad airing on the CBS affiliate station in Greensboro, the ABC affiliate in Durham, and the FOX affiliate in Charlotte. That same week, text4baby saw a spike in enrollment in those areas, suggesting that the NC PSAs may have contributed slightly to the observed high enrollment. Thanks, NCHSF!
6/26/2012 - Indiana Text4baby Campaign
At the beginning of the month, Carl Ellison from the Indiana Minority Health Coalition (IMHC) and others were featured on an IndyStyle WISH-TV television segment and on the Medically Speaking radio show for WTLC Indianapolis. Following these interviews, the IMHC officially launched the statewide Indiana Text4baby Campaign. The Indiana State Health Officer headlined an event with a local text4baby user who spoke highly of the service stating, “There's a lot of information you wouldn't think to ask your doctor...It's been a great experience for me." A strong media presence included local affiliates from NBC, CBS, and FOX, and resulted in an Indianapolis Star article and one in the Post Tribune. Also, a team of practice consultant nurses from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Indiana Medicaid Plan have been actively promoting the service with their state’s 40 Weeks of Pregnancy: Every Week Counts toolkits. There was a notable spike in enrollment (97% increase compared to an average week) after the launch event and promotional activities, which stayed above average through last week. To keep the momentum going, IMHC attended the Indiana Latino Expo and the statewide 2012 Pregnant and Parenting Teen Conference to promote the service. Check out IMHC’s blog highlighting the great text4baby outreach in Indiana, as well as recent media coverage on IMHC’s text4baby page. Keep up the great work, Indiana!
5/22/2012 - The Massachusetts WIC Program
The Massachusetts WIC Program (MA WIC), housed within the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, stepped up their game this week with customized text4baby materials, which WIC nutritionists will distribute to hospitals, OB/GYNs, and pediatricians throughout the Commonwealth. They have also launched their own Twitter page. Thanks for the great work, MA WIC!
5/8/2012 - Georgia Department of Public Health
Our partners at the Georgia Department of Public Health, along with their partners at Univision, celebrated Cinco de Mayo with the “Batalla de Puebla” festival. Over 30,000 people enjoyed the festivities with music, food, sun, and of course, text4baby promotion. What a wonderful opportunity to promote and distribute text4baby information! The library at Scottish Rite Hospital within Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is also promoting text4baby by handing out materials to moms and displaying posters throughout the facility. Keep up the great work, Georgia!
4/24/2012 - Texas Department of State Health Services
Last week, text4baby partners in Texas stepped up to promote the service in an innovative new way. The Texas Department of State Health Services, the Little Elm Library, and the Claud H. Gilmer Memorial Library presented Text4baby: New Beginnings Start with Words at the Texas Library Association 2012 Annual Conference. The presentation focused on educating resourceful attendees about text4baby and providing creative ideas on how they can promote it, including mommy-baby reading hour and the family literacy program. The theme was Healthy Libraries Promote Healthy Communities. Way to go, Texas!
4/3/2012 - Indiana Minority Health Coalition
Indiana is gearing up for a statewide text4baby campaign and joined us at HMHB last week to share their plans and strategize! The Indiana Minority Health Coalition (IMHC) is leading the campaign, thanks to a significant grant from the state health department, along with the Indiana Perinatal Network and others. A public awareness campaign from Mother’s Day, May 13th through August 5th will include customized radio, television, print PSAs to air; along with Facebook and other social media. There will also be a "street-level” campaign targeting local establishments and leaders. The goal is to increase the number of Indiana women enrolled in text4baby since launch from 7,000+ to 15,000 by August 30, 2012 and to 20,000 by December 31, 2012. Thanks to IMHC for taking the lead on this exciting state-level effort!
3/27/2012 - Michigan Primary Care Association
Michigan Primary Care Association (MPCA) celebrated the new partnership between CMS’ Connecting Kids to Coverage initiative and text4baby earlier this month by hosting a table with information on both programs at the West Michigan Women’s Expo in Grand Rapids. Over 17,400 women attended the event, which this year focused on health, home, and style. In addition to providing information on text4baby and Medicaid and CHIP, staff at the table also showed attendees how to actually enroll in these programs. Nearly 30 new and expecting moms pulled out their cell phones and signed up for text4baby on the spot! Women who received information about Medicaid and CHIP were also able to enroll in health coverage on-site. Thank you, MPCA, for connecting mothers and families in Michigan to these important resources!
3/20/2012 - The Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus and Legislative Women's Caucus Foundation
Last Thursday, the Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus and Legislative Women’s Caucus Foundation announced their partnership with text4baby at a press conference in Baton Rouge. Key stakeholders from around the state, including Louisiana text4baby partners, the Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus, Johnson & Johnson, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, and media representatives came together to celebrate the launch of this new partnership. Additionally, Senator Karen Carter Peterson, Chair of the Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus, also announced that March 15, 2012 was “Text4baby Day” in the Louisiana Legislature, celebrated with the introduction of a text4baby-specific resolution into the Senate. Legislators promoted the program to constituents at community events held later that day. Thank you to the Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus and Legislative Women’s Caucus Foundation for your support of text4baby and for spreading the word about the program to your constituents!
2/14/2012 - FAMIS
FAMIS (Family Access to Medical Insurance Security) are CHIP programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and they are actively promoting the text4baby enrollment button and the Connecting Kids to Coverage widget through their digital tools. FAMIS also created an online postcard (see below) to celebrate their one year anniversary of text4baby with community partners (they plan to create a similar postcard honoring text4baby’s second birthday) and are encouraging community partners to include text4baby referrals in outreach activities. Information about text4baby is also included in FAMIS literature that is disseminated to moms newly enrolled to CHIP and Medicaid. Thanks for all of the great work, FAMIS!
2/14/2012 - The Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition
The Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition (ILMCHC) is organizing a community enrollment drive and broader public awareness event with their partners to make sure families in Chicago have the opportunity to be connected to health coverage and health information programs. As a long-time supporter of text4baby, ILMCHC is our state-lead organization, and we are grateful for their support in initiating this Chicago-based initiative on February 28th!
2/14/2012 - NJ SNAP-ED and Gateway Northwest Maternal & Child Health Network
The New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education and the Gateway Northwest Maternal & Child Health Network are planning for an event on February 28th in Newark. By engaging key stakeholders in the Newark community, they are planning a city-wide enrollment drive to connect families to health coverage. Thanks so much to NJ SNAP-ED and Gateway Northwest Maternal & Child Health Network for taking the lead on this event!
2/14/2012 - The Association of Perinatal Networks of New York; First 5 Ventura County
Our partners are doing a lot of work to promote the PSAs on their local networks. In New York State, the Association of Perinatal Networks of New York is going to be working with an agency in their area to get the PSAs played locally. Additionally, they will be reaching out to encourage their networks to follow up with TV stations in their jurisdiction. In California, First 5 Ventura County has customized the PSAs with their logo for local distribution. They will also be sharing the PSAs electronically with partner organizations in Ventura County through their Neighborhood for Learning project. Thank you for all your hard work!
11/15/2011- Washington State Department of Health
As part of the Health-e Moms Project, Washington State is getting the word out about text4baby as a tool to help support pregnant and parenting women. The Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) coordinated a 30 minute radio interview in Spanish that described the service and included reflections from a text4baby mother. Additionally, WA DOH posted over 1,000 bus signs displayed inside more than 700 different buses in 20 counties across the state. The bus campaign runs through the end of 2011. WithinReach’s ParentHelp123.org website and hotline were added to the bus signs to direct people to statewide pregnancy-related resources. WithinReach is gearing up to create their first online video to direct pregnant women and parents to their services. The video will include clips and photos of infants during key milestones, submitted by families in the community. For more details about Washington State’s activities, contact Lana Hutnik at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (360) 236-3538.
11/8/2011 - Connecticut Department of Public Health
On Thursday, November 3rd, text4baby received a request from the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) in response to the large number of power outages in the state and the drastic increase in the number of cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, including a number of deaths. CT DPH reported 187 visits to the Emergency Room and five deaths. At that time, there were 430,000 outages in Connecticut, which they estimated could affect approximately 1 million people. CT DPH requested that we send a message to text4baby subscribers in the state to warn families about the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from using outdoor grills and generators in enclosed areas. Without power, families were not receiving communications from CT DPH, and they felt that texting families would be an effective means of communicating this important message. After receiving this request, text4baby reached out to other state health departments affected by power outages including Massachusetts and New Hampshire to ask if there was a need to send a message to text4baby subscribers in their states as well. The Massachusetts Department of Health responded immediately and agreed that this message would be helpful to distribute in their state. Text4baby worked quickly with partners to develop a text message to get prepared for distribution the following day. A two part message about carbon monoxide poisoning was sent in both English and Spanish to over 2,600 people in Connecticut and Massachusetts. This is a great example of the power of mobile technology and a fantastic effort by text4baby partners (State health departments, text4baby, Voxiva, and CDC) to act quickly to address a very critical public health issue.
9/20/2011- Minnesota Department of Health
On September 2, the Minnesota Department of Health began a text4baby bus advertising campaign. The text4baby ads (see image below) are on 35 buses that service the Twin Cities Metro area and will run for four weeks. The campaign costs approximately $9,000, which includes the design and production of the ad, as well as the ad placements. The campaign was funded by a federal Pregnancy Assistance Fund grant through the Office of Adolescent Health. This grant has also funded 11 student parent support centers for student parents in higher education institutions (tribal colleges, 2-year & technical colleges, and 4-year institutions). The Minnesota Department of Health intentionally chose several bus routes that service all four of the metro area grantees. Thank you to the Minnesota Department of Health for promoting text4baby so creatively! The text4baby team looks forward to seeing the enrollment impact of the bus signs.
8/23/2011- Alabama Department of Public Health
As a part of their First Time Motherhood grant activities, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) has been hard at work getting the word out about text4baby. To increase providers’ knowledge of the program, in April 2010, ADPH promoted text4baby at the conferences of the Alabama Chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as well as to the State Perinatal Advisory Council, health care providers, and WIC clinics. As a result of these efforts, the state experienced a spike in text4baby enrollment (see chart below). Additionally, ADPH partnered with the Offices of Women Health and Minority Health and they mailed text4baby materials with their newsletters in July. ADPH also partnered with the State Children's Health Insurance Program "ALL Kids,” which promotes text4baby through their outreach activities of their Regional Coordinators. Recently, ADPH issued a press release that included a statement by the State Health Officer, Don Williamson, who said, "We are pleased to partner with the text4baby initiative to give pregnant and new mothers critical information they need so they can take charge of their health and the health of their babies." Dr. Williamson also said that his department has made it a goal to enroll 60,000 Alabama women in the text4baby campaign this year. This announcement generated interest from the local news and several stations did stories on text4baby in Alabama, such as this one. As a result of the news coverage, Alabama experienced another significant increase in text4baby enrollment. Last week, ADPH sent customized text4baby flyers and business cards to all of the delivering hospitals in the state. In addition, ADPH plans to promote text4baby at health fairs, at conferences and to all of the public health nursing directors in the state. Thank you to ADPH for all you do to promote text4baby!
7/19/2011- New Mexico Department of Health
The New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) has been busy getting the word out about text4baby. The DOH recently sent text4baby posters to 42 rural and urban Public Health offices. These clinics serve Spanish, English and Native American clients. Additionally, the DOH sent 33 letters to midwives and midwifery practices to remind them to promote text4baby. Enclosed in the letter was a sample of each of the four images from the text4baby tear-off pads. Finally, the DOH sent letters or emails about text4baby to 13 Birthing Network services in Albuquerque and other cities in New Mexico. As a result of these efforts, the DOH has reached more agencies and people in the state than ever before. Thank you to the New Mexico Department of Health for promoting text4baby!
7/12/2011 - Utah Department of Health
The Utah Department of Health (DOH) supports the text4baby program in several ways. The Utah DOH has provided local health and WIC agencies with posters and tearpads. Text4baby is also promoted through the case management program they run for their public employees. Text4baby information appears on the DOH Maternal and Infant Health Program web site and the Baby Your Baby program website, which provides helpful information and resources to pregnant women and moms in Utah. Most recently, Nan Streeter, Director, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, served as a judge for the text4baby Enrollment Card Design Contest that took place at the evo’11 Conference in Park City, Utah on July 7th- 9th. The text4baby Enrollment Card Design Contest, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, invited conference attendees and their children to design text4baby enrollment cards. The three winning text4baby enrollment cards were chosen by a panel of judges and will be hosted on the text4baby website for partners to use. The Utah DOH also plans to print the winning enrollment card and distribute it to local health clinics throughout the state. Thank you to the Utah DOH for helping get the word out about text4baby!
6/28/2011 - Immunize Nevada
Demonstrating real spirit and creativity, text4baby partner, on June 24th, Immunize Nevada pulled off the first ever text4baby flash mob. Planning for the flash mob took lots of coordination. To recruit flash mob participants, Immunize Nevada reached out to pregnant women and new moms through the organization’s social media outlets and local mom blog sites. Once participants were secured, they received a link to a YouTube video of the dance, which gave step by step instructions. Two “dress rehearsals” were held, which allowed participants to ask questions, see the venue, and get to know one another. As a thank you for participating, the women received a gift certificate to the local mall and two tickets to the June 24th Aces baseball game. Immunize Nevada also provided the participants with bright pink text4Baby t-shirts to wear during the dance.
The flash mob was held at the Reno Aces baseball stadium in Reno, Nevada. The dance took place near the main ticket entrance 30 minutes before the game was set to start. Hundreds of people looked on as 17 pregnant women and new moms danced to the song “Baby” by Justin Bieber. Immunize Nevada worked with the Reno Aces to have the video of the flash mob replayed during the baseball game. The organization also secured media coverage through the local NBC news station. We look forward to hearing about more text4baby flash mobs nationwide.
3/29/2011- Missouri Department of Health
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services recently created a GIS map using text4baby data to visually chart enrollment in the service by county. This is a terrific example of how partners can use data to help guide their text4baby outreach efforts. To view the map, click here.
3/29/2011- The Kansas Children’s Service League
The Kansas Children's Service League is helping get the word out about text4baby, while also working to prevent child abuse across the state. They have included information about text4baby in over 50,000 English and Spanish educational DVDs about shaken baby syndrome which are given to parents of new infants in Kansas. Information about text4baby is also included in hospital educational sessions for new parents about shaken baby syndrome. Thank you to the Kansas Children’s Service League for supportingtext4baby!
2/01/2011- Kansas WIC Program
In Kansas, information about text4baby is hard to miss! The Kansas WIC program placed several billboards on major highways, including the Kansas Turnpike and I-35. Drivers will see the billboards through August of this year. This is a great way to reach lots of people with information about text4baby!
1/11/2011-Prevent Child Abuse Arizona
Prevent Child Abuse Arizona is promoting text4baby during their community seminars with nurses, childbirth educators, and home visitors. Never Shake A Baby Arizona Coordinator, Dr. Mary Warren, gives providers information on how to teach parents about coping with infant crying to prevent shaken baby syndrome. “Nurses always welcome additional resources they can give to new parents to help keep their babies safe and healthy,” said Dr. Warren. “And text4baby is so easy to pass on, and easy for moms to use. Thanks for creating this opportunity to pass on life-saving messages for babies and parents!”
8/31/2010- The Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai’i
The Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai’i is collaborating with partners across the islands to sign women up for text4baby. HMHB of HI is working closely with 10 other organizations to form a statewide Text4baby Stakeholders’ Committee who will develop and implement text4baby promotional efforts. The Hawaii Medical Services Association, has already begun their outreach efforts and is mailing cards with sign-up instructions to pregnant members, mailing posters to physicians, incorporating a question about text4baby into their survey efforts, writing an article in their magazine, Tweeting about it, and collaborating with HMHB of HI on local health fairs. In addition, HMHB of HI printed 60,000 rack cards and will be distributing them through its strong coalition to reach the target audience. Finally, HMHB of HI is planning a radio campaign for later this year and early 2011.
8/24/2010- Pennsylvania Department of Health
Text4baby Outreach Partner the Pennsylvania Department of Health has been very busy promoting text4baby this summer. A blurb about text4baby was published in their wellness newsletter, reaching 1,600 employees. The multi-agency Health and Human Services Call Center is promoting text4baby through their HelpinPA facebook page and the baby and kids line to over 10,000 callers a month. In addition, they promoted text4baby at the grand opening of the Latino Community Center recently, reaching over 2,000 people. Finally, they have made text4baby promotional materials available to agencies and offices around the state.
6/01/2010- The New Hampshire Text4baby Coalition (Department of Health and Human Services WIC and MCH sections)
The New Hampshire text4baby Coalition (NH Coalition), led by the state Department of Health and Human Services WIC and MCH sections, issued a press release last week in celebration of National Public Health Week resulting in substantial media coverage, including newspaper articles and interviews. The NH Coalition has also sent mass emails to colleagues and partners statewide. To encourage expansion of the coalition, they set up a NH email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for public and private organizations in NH to join the campaign. Finally, they have printed customized text4baby posters and flyers and made them available to their contract agencies and district offices around the state.
4/20/2010- Oklahoma Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition
The Oklahoma Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition has formed strategic partnerships with groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics Oklahoma Chapter (text4baby was featured in a newsletter), and the Oklahoma Public Health Association (text4baby was included in conference materials), ensuring that information about text4baby reaches providers, professionals, and those who work with patients directly. In addition, OK-HMHB has been building alliances across the broad field of maternal and child health within their state. They shared text4baby information at a number of meetings, including the OK-HMHB General Coalition Meeting, the Oklahoma State Department of Health Improving Infant Outcomes Meeting, and the March Perinatal Advisory Task Force meeting. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OK Medicaid Agency) has shared text4baby on outreach calls to pregnant women and new moms.
3/16/2010- Florida Department of Health
The Florida Department of Health (FL DOH), a text4baby State Lead Agency, has been busy promoting text4baby! They have added text4baby information to their website, sent out a press release announcing the launch, promoted the service in their Health Advisor newsletter and announced the launch of text4baby through a bulletin distributed to 17,000 employees statewide. In addition, the FL DOH sent information about text4baby to WIC programs, county health departments, Healthy Families programs and Healthy Start Coalitions across the state. The Florida WIC programs plan to add the text4baby call to action to their checks, and the Women’s Health Initiative will incorporate the program into their activities. Additionally, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles promoted text4baby in their monthly e-newsletter sent to 4,500 employees statewide.
2/9/2010 & 2/16/2010- Virginia Department of Health
The Virginia Department of Health has formed a strong state-wide coalition that includes government agencies, healthcare providers, health plans, professional associations, hospital systems, faith based organizations, Healthy Start programs, WIC programs, and community-based organizations. This coalition is working together to promote text4baby to women all across Virginia through member outreach, inclusion of text4baby call-to-action in Medicaid eligibility letters, and distribution of text4baby posters and materials in clinics.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) held a press briefing to announce its participation in the text4baby program. VA Health and Human Services Secretary Bill Hazel, MD, spoke about Virginia's involvement as a national model and highlighted the accomplishment as an unprecedented public/private partnership. Last summer, Virginia established a text4baby implementation team that includes key stakeholders and members of the Health Commissioner’s Infant Mortality Workgroup. Virginia will continue to collaborate with the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition to promote text4baby throughout Virginia with a grant provided by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.
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