Text4baby and Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Team Up to Support Family Health in Illinois
Text4baby and Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Team Up to Support Family Health in Illinois
Key Services Connect to Help Moms Raise Healthier Families
CHICAGO, March 5, 2012- Last week, the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition hosted a press and enrollment event featuring Dr. Bechara Choucair, Commission, Chicago Department of Public Health; Dennis Majeskie, Director of State Government Affairs, Johnson & Johnson; and Monte Cook, an enrollee of text4baby. This event in Chicago coincided with other events hosted by community and public health organizations across the country to celebrate Connecting Kids to Coverage & Text4baby Enrollment Day – a national kick-off celebration for a new partnership between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the text4baby program.
“America’s Doctor”, Dr. Regina Benjamin, U. S. Surgeon General, announced the partnership and spoke about its importance. “Text-messaging is a part of the culture in terms of how we communicate,” said Dr. Benjamin. “Using text-messaging to help conduct outreach to families about health coverage for their children is just one more way that the appropriate use of technology is enhancing how we make sure pregnant women and children get the health care they need.”
CHIP is the country’s largest healthcare agency and text4baby is the country’s largest mobile health information service. Text4baby is reaching Americans in every state with information about Medicaid and CHIP, while also providing pregnant women and new moms free health information and reminders. By joining forces in a multi-year partnership to drive enrollment in these services, more American families will have access to affordable, quality healthcare and essential health education.
Dennis Majeskie spoke of Johnson & Johnson’s support for this new partnership at this event. “Better health for communities starts with better health for expectant and new mothers. Text4baby can help many mothers, and Johnson & Johnson is proud to be its founding sponsor.”
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition and other local agencies are now working together so that families are able to easily sign up for Medicaid or CHIP and enroll in text4baby. The new partnership will improve access to health information and free and low-cost health services for mothers and infants.
Janine Lewis, executive director for the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition is optimistic about the impact of this partnership. “The Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition is pleased to collaborate with the Illinois Department of Healthcare Family Services, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and other partners to maximize the reach of text4baby across the state for the improvement of health outcomes for women, infants, and families. “
About the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition
The Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition’s main objective is to identify and overcome the major barriers, which include poverty and racism that prevent achievement of maternal and child wellness. The Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers is a project of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition.
About Text4baby
Text4baby is the first free national health texting service in the U.S. By simply texting "BABY" (or “BEBE” for information in Spanish) to 511411, women can register to receive weekly text messages, timed to their individual due dates or their baby's birth date throughout their pregnancy and baby’s first year. The tips and messages have been developed in collaboration with government and nonprofit health experts. Text4baby is made possible through a public-private partnership that includes government, corporations, academic institutions, professional associations, tribal agencies and non-profit organizations. Johnson & Johnson is the founding sponsor. Founding partners include the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, Voxiva, CTIA - The Wireless Foundation, and Grey Healthcare Group (a WPP company). U.S. government partners include the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense Military Health System, the Department of Agriculture, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Social Security Administration. The mobile health platform is provided by Voxiva and free messaging services are generously provided by participating wireless carriers.