Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County
  • ABOUT
    • Mission & History
    • Our Team
    • Volunteer Executive Board
    • Annual Reports
    • Client Success Stories
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • PROGRAMS
    • Healthy Start
    • Connect
    • Save My Life
    • MomCare
    • Fetal & Infant Mortality Review
  • COMMUNITY ACTION
    • Addiction Support and Pregnancy (ASAP)
    • Breastfeeding Advocates of Sarasota County
    • Breastfeeding Friendly Sarasota Project
    • Breastfeeding Peer Counselors
    • Clean Start
    • IMPLICIT: Interconception Care Model for Vulnerable Populations in Sarasota County
    • Pump Up Sarasota
    • Safe Sleep Sarasota Initiative
    • Substance Exposed Newborn Prevention & Protection
  • FOR MOMS
    • Can Healthy Start Help You?
    • Breastfeeding Support & Resources
    • Clean Start – Protecting Your Baby from Drugs and Alcohol
    • Family Planning
    • Getting Healthy Before You Get Pregnant
    • Help to Quit Smoking
    • Hurricane & Disaster Preparedness
    • Safe Sleep for Your Baby
    • Text4Baby
    • Think 39 Weeks!
    • Zika and Pregnancy
  • FOR PROVIDERS
    • Prenatal Risk Screen
    • Infant Risk Screen
    • Provider Education & Resources
    • Your Community Liaison
  • EVENTS
    • An Evening for Healthy Start 2023
      13th Annual Fundraiser
    • Past Events
      • 2022 Breakfast of Champions
      • Run Baby Run! 5k
      • An Evening for Healthy Start 2022
      • Fourth Annual Regional Summit 2022
      • Free Virtual Webinar: Multiple Layers of COVID-19 From Birth to Grief
      • 2021 Parenting Series
        • 2021 Parenting Series – The Sleepy Tot
        • 2021 Parenting Series – COVID 19 Vaccination
        • 2021 Parenting Series – HypnoBirthing
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Resilient Retreat
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Potty Training
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Sound Beginnings
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Childhood Stress
      • 2020 Regional Summit Lunch and Learn Series
      • An Evening for Healthy Start 2020
      • “Giving Sarasota a Healthy Start” Luncheon 2020
      • North Port Community Baby Shower & Preschool Expo
      • Sarasota Community Baby Shower
      • SECOND REGIONAL SUMMIT: Substance Use Disorder in the Pregnant Patient and Substance Exposed Neonate
      • (Virtual) Breakfast of Champions 2020
  • DONATE
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Wishlist
    • Amazon Smile
    • Goodshop
  • ABOUT
    • Mission & History
    • Our Team
    • Volunteer Executive Board
    • Annual Reports
    • Client Success Stories
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • PROGRAMS
    • Healthy Start
    • Connect
    • Save My Life
    • MomCare
    • Fetal & Infant Mortality Review
  • COMMUNITY ACTION
    • Addiction Support and Pregnancy (ASAP)
    • Breastfeeding Advocates of Sarasota County
    • Breastfeeding Friendly Sarasota Project
    • Breastfeeding Peer Counselors
    • Clean Start
    • IMPLICIT: Interconception Care Model for Vulnerable Populations in Sarasota County
    • Pump Up Sarasota
    • Safe Sleep Sarasota Initiative
    • Substance Exposed Newborn Prevention & Protection
  • FOR MOMS
    • Can Healthy Start Help You?
    • Breastfeeding Support & Resources
    • Clean Start – Protecting Your Baby from Drugs and Alcohol
    • Family Planning
    • Getting Healthy Before You Get Pregnant
    • Help to Quit Smoking
    • Hurricane & Disaster Preparedness
    • Safe Sleep for Your Baby
    • Text4Baby
    • Think 39 Weeks!
    • Zika and Pregnancy
  • FOR PROVIDERS
    • Prenatal Risk Screen
    • Infant Risk Screen
    • Provider Education & Resources
    • Your Community Liaison
  • EVENTS
    • An Evening for Healthy Start 2023
      13th Annual Fundraiser
    • Past Events
      • 2022 Breakfast of Champions
      • Run Baby Run! 5k
      • An Evening for Healthy Start 2022
      • Fourth Annual Regional Summit 2022
      • Free Virtual Webinar: Multiple Layers of COVID-19 From Birth to Grief
      • 2021 Parenting Series
        • 2021 Parenting Series – The Sleepy Tot
        • 2021 Parenting Series – COVID 19 Vaccination
        • 2021 Parenting Series – HypnoBirthing
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Resilient Retreat
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Potty Training
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Sound Beginnings
        • 2021 Parenting Series – Childhood Stress
      • 2020 Regional Summit Lunch and Learn Series
      • An Evening for Healthy Start 2020
      • “Giving Sarasota a Healthy Start” Luncheon 2020
      • North Port Community Baby Shower & Preschool Expo
      • Sarasota Community Baby Shower
      • SECOND REGIONAL SUMMIT: Substance Use Disorder in the Pregnant Patient and Substance Exposed Neonate
      • (Virtual) Breakfast of Champions 2020
  • DONATE
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Wishlist
    • Amazon Smile
    • Goodshop

ACTION ALERT! Help Save Healthy Start Coalitions!

Tell Tallahasse: Florida babies need a Healthy Start!

The Florida House of Representatives Health Care Appropriations Committee  has made a proposal that will destroy the cost-effective and highly efficient network of care for pregnant women and infants in the state of Florida.

For the last 19 years, thirty-one non-profit Healthy Start Coalitions across the state have responded to their community’s unique needs to assure pregnant women get adequate prenatal care and other critical educational and counseling services to assure their babies are born healthy.  The Coalitions are instrumental in leveraging additional funding through public-private partnerships, thereby reducing government costs for these services.  Healthy Start Coalitions have monitored maternal and child health care needs in their individual areas and provided education to professionals and the public in order to prevent health problems which could affect mothers and infants.

The FL House of Rep’s budget proposal does not make fiscal or ethical sense:

  • The savings from eliminating the Healthy Start Coalitions’ systems of care will save the state $4 million.  Last year, the Coalitions leveraged $32 million additional dollars to provide these high-risk services….that’s $28 million that the state did not have to pay!  Does this make sense?
  • The proposal wants to cut the Coalitions and make the county health departments administer these specialized prenatal education and counseling services.  Only 42 out of 67 county health departments even offer prenatal care or see pregnant women!  Does this make sense?
  • The Coalitions have fine-tuned the risk screening process, reduced barriers that exist between the public and private sectors of health care, established reliable provider networks, and responded to local needs.  County health departments are not equipped to do this and in some instances are restricted from performing some of these activities.  Does this make sense?

The FL Senate in its wisdom has elected not to eliminate Healthy Start Coalitions because they know it makes fiscal and ethical sense now and in the future to help prevent low birth weight, prematurity, or fetal or infant death.  During the week of April 5th, the House and Senate will meet to negotiate the final budget.

Please support the continuation of this vital network of public-private partnerships which help keep tax-payers costs down.  Contact your legislator NOW – time is literally of the essence—to tell them you support what 19 years of experience has accomplished:  healthier pregnancies and babies.  Keep the Healthy Start Coalitions alive and well in Florida.

Visit http://flsenate.gov/Legislators/index.cfm to find your legislators’ contact information.

Legislators are meeting EARLY NEXT WEEK, so please contact them as soon as possible!

For a sample letter, click here.

For a downloadable and printable fact sheet, click here.

Blog

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    Free Parenting Series Thursday, 7, Jan
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    Unidos for a Healthy Future Wednesday, 22, Apr
  • Hurricane
    Hurricane Preparedness: Pregnant Women and Families Friday, 30, Aug

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About

“Our Mission is to Improve the Health and Well-being of Pregnant Women, Infants, and Young Children in Sarasota County.”

WHO WE ARE

  • OUR TEAM
  • VOLUNTEER EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
  • CALENDAR OF EVENTS

WHAT WE DO

  • OUR MISSION
  • OUR PROGRAMS
  • EVENTS
  • FAQ
  • PRESS RELEASES

OUR MISSION

“Our Mission is to Improve the Health and Well-being of Pregnant Women, Infants, and Young Children in Sarasota County.”

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© 2017 The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. Designed by Ciera Coleman. Photography by Peter Acker.