Delivering Change Healthy Moms Healthy Babies has enjoyed a successful run in Geary County where it has helped reduce the infant mortality rate, and provided access to women who can’t afford prenatal care.

Tuesday Riley and Geary County partners announced a coalition.

Kimberly Cox is chair of the Riley County perinatal coalition. “We are going to officially announce that Delivering Change is here in Riley County.”

Cox said during the past 18 months all the partners dealing with moms and babies were brought together in Riley County to address the issue. “We also facilitated the process of connecting pregnant women to the appropriate resources to gain Kancare insurance so that they can access prenatal care earlier in the process because we know that that helps make healthy moms healthy babies. We also have assisted the Riley County Health department in securing a grant from the March of Dimes to start the becoming a mom, perinatal education classes.”

Geary County Perinatal Coalition received a federal grant totaling $84,955 to strengthen the rural health system by developing a cross county network. That will include identifying community and regional resources, and development of a cross county referral process.

During a press conference Terra Stroda of Junction City said since the program began in Geary County in July of 2011 Delivering Change had made strides in improving health of mothers and babies there. “Recent vital statistics from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment revealed that the infant mortality rate in Geary County has declined significantly to 7.5 per a thousand live births.” Stroda also added, “that the access to quality prenatal care and women achieving adequate prenatal care has increased for the fourth straight year to 76.4%.”

Stroda said since 2012 more than 150 Geary County women have access prenatal care earlier in their pregnancy and were helped in achieving health insurance or locating financial help.