2015-02-24 14:21:13 -0800
To: President Barack Obama
Tell President Obama to Restore Healthy Start Funds to Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin
This campaign has ended.
Dear President Obama, Please hold HRSA accountable for its admitted mistakes and provide full funding to Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin because their Healthy Start grant application to fight infant mortality disparities was approved but not funded. Black babies in Milwaukee die 3-4 times more than White babies and some areas in Milwaukee have infant mortality rates that are comparable to third world countries, these funds are desperately needed in Milwaukee!
Why is this important?
The Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, a grant recipient since 1998, has operated its Milwaukee Healthy Beginnings Project (MHBP) to improve maternal and infant health in the City of Milwaukee, providing services to almost 700 Wisconsinites a year. Milwaukee has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country, and the Black infant mortality rate is almost three times higher than the White rate. Discontinuation of this funding is a significant obstacle in protecting the health of the most vulnerable Wisconsin families. MHBP provides comprehensive culturally respectful case management to clients that include those who are; homeless, involved in domestic violence, incarcerated, have open bureau of child welfare cases, etc. MHBP has a proven track record, as evidence by independent evaluations, of success.
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued two Healthy Start Initiative (HSI) Funding Opportunities Announcements (FOA); Round 1 in December 2013 and Round 2 in February 2014. Healthy Start Initiatives funds agencies that have racial disparities in infant mortality rates and poor birth outcomes. Some of these agencies represent communities that have infant mortality rates that are comparable to third world countries.
HRSA released Round 2 because they did not receive enough applicants for Round 1; but the Round 2 guidance clearly stated that Round 1 applicants would be reviewed and funded before Round 2 decisions were made. This is documented in a February 20, 2014 webinar. This was a competitive process that was open to current HSI grantees as well as possible new grantees.
Instead of following its own guidelines, the Healthy Start administration decided to combine both pools of applicants. As a result, 25 of the Round 1 applicants were not funded, including Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin. HRSA has admitted that they made errors in the grant award process, but they say they do not have enough money to fully fund the agencies that have been harmed by their mistakes.
This injustice needs to be rectified and Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin needs to be fully funded ASAP!