We are thrilled to welcome Ahkeya Howard as our new Community Engagement Director. She joins us at our corporate headquarters after being our Lead Community Health Worker for Healthy Start at Swope. You can read Ahkeya’s bio on our web site to learn more.
Our grant to run our Healthy Start program has been renewed for another 5 years! We will continue to provide essential support to the families we serve … and then some! In this May issue we also welcome to our new Community Engagement Director, share our 2023 Annual Report, recap what K.C. hospitals received ‘Nurturing Safe Sleep Champion’ certification and more.
Nurture KC is proud to announce that five area hospitals have been awarded Nurturing Safe Sleep Champion status for adopting a safe sleep policy for babies, training staff accordingly and providing corresponding education to parents. Ultimately, this certification saves newborns’ lives.
“Our Nurturing Safe Sleep initiative was a response to the high rates of infant death due to unsafe sleep, particularly for Black babies. Unsafe sleep accounts for 16 percent of all infant deaths, and 24 percent of Black infant deaths, in Kanas City. These deaths are preventable,” says Tracy Russell, Executive Director of Nurture KC. “Hospitals play a leading role in establishing a culture of safe sleep and serve as a touchpoint for new parents.”
Click “read more” below to see which hospitals have earned the certification and read the full news release.
A landmark study to be published by The Lancet shows global immunizations have saved an estimated 154 million lives (that’s 6 lives every minute of every year) during the past 50 years. The vast majority of lives saved – 101 million – were those of infants. Read more here. The Lancet Group is a collection of 24 medical and health journals.
From maternal to mental health, learn about the important work we’re doing right now in our April Update. This month we’re proud to partner with El Centro, Kansas Birth Equity Network, Children’s Services Fund of Jackson County, Immunize Kansas Coalition and more.
Mental health took center stage as we honored Black Maternal Health Week at this event by Kansas Birth Equity Network. Nurture KC Community Health Worker, Marchai Hudson (pictured second to left below), spoke about how we can improve outcomes for Black moms and the importance of one-on-one relationships she has with the moms she serves through our Healthy Start program. Those connections help us provide individualized support and make progress!
One of our Healthy Start moms shows her appreciation for her Community Health Worker, Maricela (pictured) and gave her this bouquet as a parting gift as she phases out of our services. Someone pass the tissues! We love this connection with our moms and our Community Health Workers.
Congratulations to AdventHealth South Overland Park on becoming our newest Nurturing Safe Sleep Champion. What does this mean? In partnership with Nurture KC, the hospital:
1) Adopted a safe sleep policy for newborns
2) Trained staff on safe sleep procedures
3) Provided education to new parents
All in accordance with Cribs for Kids national standards. Learn more at https://nurturekc.org/solutions/safe-sleep/
Nurture KC is celebrating World Doula Week and our 2 doulas – Lydia Robinson with Labored with Love and Neysha Reyes with Olas de Amor Doula Services. They have served 30 moms in our Healthy Start program. Thank you, Lydia and Neysha, for being advocates for our moms and newborns
Nurture KC is proud to partner with Children’s Services Fund of Jackson County on programs like Moving Beyond Depression and Promise 1000. Check out this article “Comprehensive Community Health Models at the Heart of Nurture KC’s Programs” to learn more. “This holistic approach is invaluable in shaping healthy futures for children,” says Tracy Russell, Executive Director of Nurture KC.
