Reducing Infant Mortality: How OhioHealth and Community Partners Are Making a Difference

Infant mortality, the death of an infant before their first birthday, continues to be a significant concern for parents and healthcare providers across the world. According to the Center for Disease Control and Protections (CDC), Ohio is ranked 43 for infant mortality out of all 50 states. While there are multiple factors that affect this rate, OhioHealth is making strong efforts to decrease this rising number with community-based programs like CelebrateOne and CHAMPS.

CelebrateOne is a program dedicated to reducing infant mortality and bringing together local healthcare organizations to advocate for education and resources in the community. The program has a clear mission; to help every baby celebrate their first birthday, regardless of race, background or socioeconomic status.

“By partnering with programs like CelebrateOne and CHAMPS, OhioHealth is committed to breaking down barriers and expanding education,” Jean Halpin, president of OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, said. “We are dedicated to giving every child, regardless of their background, the opportunity to celebrate all of life’s most important milestones.”

Over the summer, women’s health associates from OhioHealth Grant Medical Center attended a policy symposium held by CelebrateOne to share their presentation about the E.M.P.A.T.H.Y Experience (Embracing Medical Problems and Tackling Healthcare’s Yoke) and learn more about ways to reduce infant mortality.

The E.M.P.A.T.H.Y Experience was designed to further OhioHealth associate’s knowledge about the impact of unconscious bias and race issues in the healthcare industry. This Administrative Action Plan was developed after an in-depth analysis of the ongoing compliance training. Once discovering this gap in education, OhioHealth created the hour-long simulation where associates walk through a museum-style showcase to learn about the history of systemic and structural racism. This also allows participants to engage in a discussion while challenging them to think from different perspectives.

Continuing to educate OhioHealth workers on these topics is crucial because of the large number of babies that are delivered in central Ohio. Robyn Lutz, Administrative Nurse Manager Labor and Delivery at Grant Medical Center, said, “The education we provide as well as the prenatal care and deliveries have a large impact on the health of Mothers and Babies in Central Ohio. Between Riverside, Doctors, Dublin, Grant and now Pickerington, we deliver the majority of the babies born in Franklin County.”

In 2023, the CDC found that 904 infants born in Ohio died before their first birthday. It was also discovered that non-Hispanic black infants die at a rate 2.4 times more than non-Hispanic white infants. Addressing these statistics and the impact that socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds have on an infant’s health can make a difference in their overall care.

The CDC’s CHAMPS is a program that OhioHealth is partnering with to help address inequities in breastfeeding which could contribute to infant mortality rates. This national initiative focuses on improving material and infant health outcomes and increasing breastfeeding rates in the U.S. CHAMPS places a large emphasis on equity and implementing evidence-based initiatives to help reduce infant mortality. They have been recognized for their success in increasing breastfeeding rates and decreasing health inequities.

These partnerships and educational experiences are impacting the lives of infants across Ohio. OhioHealth is committed to providing the best care for every infant and mother.