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Nurture KC Executive Director, Tracy Russell, was the guest speaker on today’s Morning Medical Update for The University of Kansas Health System. Watch the recording at www.medicalnewsnetwork.org.

Nurture KC is in search of a Community Health Nurse to join our Healthy Start team. This community-based position will work closely with our Community Health Workers to support improved birth outcomes for Healthy Start program participants with high-risk pregnancies. We are looking for candidates who are detail-oriented and compassionate, familiar with the KC metro area and have experience in maternal and infant health. (Bilingual, Spanish-speaking is a plus!) Check out the job description. Then, apply via Indeed or send your resume to Shannon Williams, KC Healthy Start Initiative Program Director, at swilliams@nurturekc.org by March 9, 2022.

Tracy Russell and Ali Hilton of Nurture KC meet with Democrat Kansas Senator, Cindy Holscher (left) and Republican Kansas Senator, Kristen O’Shea (right) at the Kansas State Capitol to share statewide immunization survey results. This is the Mid America Immunization Coalition (MAIC) in action! MAIC is a vaccine-advocacy program of Nurture KC. Check out MAIC’s Winter Newsletter to see how we’re making a positive impact. If you like what you see and are interested in becoming a member, visit https://bit.ly/MembershipNKC. (Members of MAIC must be members of Nurture KC.)

In honor of Black History Month, and this year’s theme of Black Health and Wellness, we’re sharing staffer Shanice’s thoughts …

Kansas Citian, Crista Bosley, shares her story: “I got immunized against COVID while pregnant.” Learn about her journey and fact check data on this topic through scientific sources included in this article. Why is Nurture KC sharing this story? One of our main programs is the Mid America Immunization Coalition (MAIC), which increases public awareness and improves access to life-saving vaccines — especially for underserved communities in KC.

We’re off and running in 2022! Check out our January Recap to see Nurture KC’s Legislative Priorities for 2022, all the bills we are following in the MO and KS legislative sessions, our new MAIC Director, open board positions and more.

Senate Bill (SB) 42 advocates for the collection of maternal death data in Kansas, which Nurture KC supports. Sounds grim, but knowing and understanding this data helps Nurture KC (and other entities) provide more targeted services and solutions to save moms’ lives.

Click “read more” below to see the testimony supporting SB 42 shared by Tracy Russell, Executive Director, Nurture KC.

We are thrilled to introduce Ali Hilton, our new Director of the Mid America Immunization Coalition (MAIC) — one of Nurture KC’s main programs. Ali brings a wealth of experience and excitement to her new role. Learn more about her at https://nurturekc.org/team/ali-hilton/.

Nurture KC enthusiastically supports Senate Bill 639 and Senate Bill 698 as a critical first step in addressing the maternal health crisis that exists in Missouri, particularly for Black mothers. The legislation extends postpartum coverage in Medicaid to one year. Enacting SB 639 and SB 698 recognizes the importance of women’s health outside the narrow window of pregnancy and delivery. The bipartisan support for improving maternal health signals a universal commitment in Missouri to take action against unacceptable rates of maternal morbidity and mortality. This is a health equity issue as Black mothers experience mortality at a rate that is 4 times that of White mothers. Missouri currently ranks 42nd in the nation in maternal mortality. It is estimated that 80% of these deaths are preventable.

Click “read more” to see the full written testimony supporting these bills submitted by Tracy Russell, Executive Director, Nurture KC.