A Model For Better Birth Outcomes

The Central Hillsborough Healthy Start Project (CHHS) is one of 92 federally-funded programs in the U.S. designed to reduce maternal and infant morbidity, in communities experiencing the most adverse perinatal health outcomes in the nation.

CHHS serves 17 census tracts in an urban central section of Hillsborough County reporting an excess of 1,000 deliveries per year. These deliveries occur to predominantly single, Black women who have less education or income than the rest of the childbearing women in Hillsborough County.

Services offered to residents in the project include but are not limited to screening, assessment, care coordination, health education and counseling, home visiting, nutritional services, and social and emotional support.

This project engages residents, consumers and service providers in monthly meetings of a Community Council structured and operated to give a strong voice in the ongoing planning and improvement of services. Four community churches are under contract, to develop volunteer support services and to provide community-based facilities for housing project activities.

Community residents are given priority when applying for paid positions. The doula (childbirth support partners) support services relies on community recruitment to identify and select candidates for employment. Once employed and trained, these Community Doulas, provide on-going emotional and physical support and information to project clients throughout late pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum, and early parenting periods.

Now in its 5th year of service to the community, the CHHS Project service model is being restructured to strengthen efforts in narrowing the disparities in health between the black childbearing women in the service communities, and women of all races in other areas of Hillsborough County and the State.

Specifically, the new Disparity Project, will assess and identify women in need of intensified interconceptional care, particularly women demonstrating signs of maternal depression or behaviors that put them at risk for intended, mistimed repeat pregnancies.

To learn more about the CHHS Project, contact Estrellita "Lo" Berry, M.A., Project Director at (813) 974-0312.