NCJ Number
198471
Editor(s)
Maureen Fitzgerald MPA,
Kelly McIntosh
Date Published
2001
Length
183 pages
Annotation
This report from CityMatCH, a national organization committed to improving the health and well being of urban women, presents numerous profiles of leading urban health department initiatives in maternal and child health for the year 2001.
Abstract
This report was developed following the 12th annual Urban Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership conference in Nashville, Tennessee, August 2001. Produced by the national organization CityMatCH, the report provides profiles submitted by the more than 70 designated maternal and child health leaders from CityMatCH member city and county public health departments. Each profile outlines a current, local, urban MCH effort as a requisite for federally subsidized attendance. Furthermore, each profile presents and discusses a given activity, a profile questionnaire, a budget, funding information, expected program outcomes, evaluation efforts, accomplishments, barriers to program success, efforts to overcome challenges, key partnerships, and overall lessons learned. The report discusses effective ways that local health departments are focusing creative energies on informing and educating the public about MCH issues, creating community partnerships, performing their roles, and breathing new life into existing programs. In addition, the report details successful initiatives for recognizing the individuality of the populations served by MCH initiatives, underestimating data as a powerful tool for change, and the evaluation of programs to enhance program effectiveness. Following a brief explanation of CityMatCH’s focus that children and families in urban areas have unique needs that must be effectively addressed in order for all children to achieve their full potential, the report introduces the ways to use the various profiles which comprise the bulk of this report. Following a quick listing of cities and States with successful leading urban health department initiatives in maternal and child health, the report “spotlights” the initiatives of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Durham, North Carolina, and St. Paul, Minnesota, before presenting an example of the instructions for 2001 CityMatCH Member Urban MCH profiles. The report provides the full profiles contributed by the 72 MCH leaders listed alphabetically by city, as well as the contact information for various regional public health department leaders.