Anchorage Department of Health and Human Services, Anchorage (AK)
"Anchorage Health Status Report: Creating a snapshot of Anchorage health through community partnership." (Pictured, left to right: Nathan Johnson, Margaret Duggan, Kathleen Heitkamp. Not pictured: Cathy Feaster, Sarah Grossheusch and Teresa O' Connor)

Anchorage sought to identify key maternal and child health indicators as part of a comprehensive effort to create a health "snapshot" of their community. The partnership that steered the Maternal and Child Health Status Report was created by reaching out to stakeholders representing public health, research, medical services and health advocacy. The Partnership chose a final set of five indicators from "Healthy Alaskans 2010" to assure that measures would be both available and comparable at state and national levels. Success will be measured by developing a sustainable set of data indicators and through an active, engaged community partnership. The Health Status Report will be expanded to include other areas identified by community stakeholders, with new key indicators, resulting in an annual report of health in the Anchorage Community.

City of New Orleans Health Depart-ment, New Orleans (LA)
"Addressing Teen Pregnancy Issues in New Orleans Schools Post Katrina" (Pictured, left to right: Barbara Cheatham & Charlotte Parent. Not pictured: Joia Crear-Perry, Zenobia Harris and Enel Wise Mitchell.)

The New Orleans team improved community collaboration to decrease the rate of teen pregnancy. They collaborated with the school-based nurses of the New Orleans school systems (i.e. Recovery District, Charter Schools, and Orleans parish district), the Early Family and Learning Foundation, and Youth Risk Behavior. The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, Greater New Orleans Data Center, CDC data, and New Orleans Census data, were all utilized for issue framing. This team is measuring success by developing and implementing a teen-centered program evaluation and determining the number of teens reached by pre/post tests, teen outreach, support groups, health education classes, and self-reporting relative to knowledge, skills aptitudes, and behavior change. To reach more teens and reduce the number of teen pregnancies, this team plans to expand services to additional high schools, and implement a teen-centered conference addressing issues such as teen pregnancy, STD's, obesity, and self-esteem.

Missoula City-County Health Department, Missoula (MT)
"Breastfeeding Works: An Evaluation of the Impact of Public Health Interventions on Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates in a Montana Community" (Pictured, left to right: Julie Serstad, Trudy Mizner, Jennifer Stires, Mary Pittaway. Not pictured: Sandra Kuntz and Dianna Frick.)

This team first sought to develop a method for tracking and evaluating breastfeeding in their client population. The goal was to increase the number of women exclusively breastfeeding (EBF) for six months in Missoula County. Their study sought to estimate the initiation of breastfeeding, the rates of exclusive breastfeeding at three and six months and the reasons for early discontinuation of EBF. Data collected will help in developing population-specific interventions to promote and encourage EBF in accordance with World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. A cue-card/tracking system to document monthly breastfeeding counseling and support helped translate their population-based interventions into a coherent message for mothers. In 2005, just three percent of WIC/MCH mothers exclusively breastfed at six months; now over 18 percent do. Next steps include implementing interventions addressing reasons women quit EBF; providing ongoing feedback to stakeholders on EBF rates; working to eliminate formula sampling by health care providers and medical facilities; assisting others to implement "Protection of Breastfeeding" legislation in public worksites, expanding legislation to private employers; advocating for DPHHS to incorporate EBF duration in WIC data system, and including breastfeeding as an MCH priority initiative.

Washoe County District Health Department Reno (NV)
"Healthy Moms Healthy Babies, Washoe County, Nevada" (Pictured, left to right: Angela Christensen, Linda Gabor, & Lisa Lottritz. Not pictured: Mary-Ann Brown, Sharon Clodfelter, Candy Hunter and Rosa Rodríguez.)

Healthy Moms Healthy Babies (HMHB) data was evaluated to improve program structure and nursing interventions. The Washoe County Health District and Renown Pregnancy Center collaborated to implement the HMHB program through a state-funded grant. MHB data from nurse home visit records, Renown Pregnancy Center and local birth certificate data were analyzed including prenatal health behaviors and indicators, domestic violence and depression screening, postpartum and birth outcomes, and demographic information. Data-driven program changes were made to improve the existing program and will continue to be monitored. Ongoing data collection and analysis will be key for strategic planning for future programs.

Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia (PA)
"Examining Pre-pregnancy Obesity and Gestational Weight Gain in Philadelphia Women and its Effect on Birth Outcomes" (Pictured, left to right: Roy Hoffman & Patricia Morris. Not pictured: Marjorie Angert and Nick Claxton.)

Philadelphia's team strove to determine the prevalence of pre-pregnancy obesity in Philadelphia, to assess the impact of obesity and high gestational weight gain on both mothers and on birth outcomes, and to develop appropriate interventions to address these issues. The project was completed by a team from Philadelphia Department of Public Health's Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health. Philadelphia birth record data from 2003 through 2006 were used for this study with approximately 80,000 records analyzed. The ability to move the recommendations and next steps of the project forward will be the measure of their project's success. In the future, they plan to develop educational materials, implement an exercise and peer support group for new moms, complete an inventory of Philadelphia weight management community resources, and develop policy.

Tarrant County Public Health, Fort Worth (TX)
"Hospital Influences on Breastfeeding Practices - Results from a WIC Program Survey" (Pictured, left to right: Micky Moerbe, Ann Salyer-Caldwell, & Anita Kurian. Not pictured: Kimberly Fulda.)

Tarrant County sought to identify variations in breastfeeding practices based on hospital of birth. Key players in the project were Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH), Hospital Administrators, and WIC. The data were collected using a survey developed by TCPH and administered at four WIC clinics within Tarrant County. The survey will be re-administered in one year and results compared. After disseminating the survey findings to hospital administrators, the team plans to assist them in shifting key hospital policies to increase breastfeeding duration among new mothers.