Georgia birth projects receive $6M from feds

Grants will help address maternal and infant mortality challenges.

Patients already were being seen at a southwest Atlanta clinic by 10 a.m. Monday as federal officials headed upstairs to announce the health center will receive a grant for nearly $1 million this year to work on mothers’ and babies’ health.

The federal funding awarded to Southside Medical Center will help support the community that used to be served by a Wellstar hospital in East Point, Atlanta Medical Center-South, which Wellstar shut down in 2022.

The visit to Atlanta was part of a national effort by the Biden administration to draw attention to maternal mortality and facilitate conversations between federal health officials and local stakeholders in a dozen states. The administration announced $105 million worth of grants nationally Monday for mom and baby organizations through its Healthy Start program.

Deaths of pregnant women and new mothers within a year of giving birth is a persistent problem in Georgia, despite a decade of work to try to better understand and prevent these deaths, The

Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported.

“It’s time that something happens, and I think this is, at least, a very good start,” said David Williams, president and CEO of Southside Medical Center.

Gathered in the room during Monday’s announcement were 30 mothers, physicians, hospital administrators and community groups from across Georgia, some of whom receive Healthy Start funding. In total, $6 million of new Healthy Start grants will go to mom and baby programs in Atlanta, Macon, Dublin and Marietta this year.

Southside Medical Center has not had an infant or mo her die in the past several years, said Wi liams, who attributes the success to early intervention during pregnancies, post- partum care after birth and access to care at the cl nic even when a person lacks insurance or cannot pay.

haven’t lost anyone,” he said.

But for Atlanta resident

Karyn Langford, it was a close call during her preg- nancy when she contracted COVID-19, a blood clot and diabetes. She was cared for by Southside’s medical staff,

o found a safe window to deliver her daughter, Denistinee, now 2.

“I really thank Southside because I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Lang- ford said.

Langford shared her story — as did several other moms — during a nearly two-hour discussion on how to make births in Georgia safer. The event was facilitated by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, which awards the grants.

Several of Georgia’s large universities participated in the conversation to dis- cuss what they already are doing to improve health outcomes for moms and babies. Mercer University, which also will receive a $1 million Healthy Start grant, is working on maternal mental health. Augusta University is working on substance use treatment for new moms. Morehouse College is cross-training new physicians in public health and primary care.

The Center for Black Women’s Wellness in Fulton County has received Healthy Start grants since 1997, and Monday it was announced the organization will receive $1 million. The money will pay for six employees who coordinate care for more than 300 pregnant women and their families as well as a blood pressure monitoring nurse, a fatherhood coordinator and a therapist, executive director Jemea Dorsey said.

Dorsey said she was inspired by the conversation and wanted to connect with several of the participants.

“It’s always easy to get discouraged, but then you’re in rooms like this and you’re hearing about the good work,” she said.