By KHI NEWS SERVICE
KHI News Service

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has been awarded a $3.5 million, five-year Healthy Start grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Healthy Start grants, awarded to 87 organizations in 33 states, will launch projects aimed at reducing infant mortality rates and improving the health of mothers and infants.

The Kansas grant will help support a Geary County project known as Delivering Change, which is designed to help eliminate disparities in perinatal health in rural Geary County.

Key partners in delivering these programs include the Geary Community Healthcare Foundation, Geary Community Hospital, Geary County Health Department, Flint Hills OBGYN, Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition Inc., Kansas Infant Death and SIDS Network, Kansas Children’s Service League, Unified School District 475 and March of Dimes.

“This Healthy Start initiative is an effective way to empower pregnant women by giving them the resources they need to improve their own health and the health of their babies,” said Dr. Robert Moser, KDHE secretary. “We are looking forward to working with a number of partners in Kansas so that Geary County children will benefit from these services.”

Delivering Change will expand on the work of the Geary County Perinatal Coalition and support these key project goals:

• Improve women’s health, with a focus on access to care.

• Promote quality services.

• Strengthen family resilience.

• Increase program accountability