PURPOSE

Washington State Department of Health (DOH) proposes to fund projects aimed at improving maternal health and birth outcomes in priority populations through the Center for Disease Control Preventative Health and Health Services Block Grant (PHHS). We are inviting communities to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply for direct funds to plan and implement a three year Birth Equity Project aimed at achieving these goals. This project will support holistic, culturally appropriate and multigenerational approaches to improving the health of mother and baby. Funded projects will achieve measurable and meaningful outcomes through implementation of evidence based/evidence informed or community informed prevention models.

BACKGROUND

Maternal health, birth outcomes and infant mortality rates are associated with a population's access to quality medical care, health status, public health policies and practices, as well as social, economic, environmental, and political conditions that influence a person’s health. From 2011-2015, Washington State’s Non-Hispanic (NH) Black/African American population had the highest infant mortality rate at 8.9  per 1,000 live births, followed by NH American Indian/Alaska Native (8.4 per 1,000) and NH Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (7.7 per 1,000), compared to NH White (4.2 per 1,000). These disparities have been relatively constant over the last two decades in our state.

DOH is committed to decreasing birth outcome health disparities in all racial/ethnic and economic groups. DOH believes that by funding evidence based/evidence informed programs or community informed practices that are culturally appropriate and focus on the root causes of inequities, we can successfully reduce population- based disparities.

PROCEDURE and ELIGIBILITY

A minimum of three Washington State organizations will be chosen through a competitive community selection process. Based on statewide health disparity data, at least one award will be to a project focused on improving outcomes among Black/African American communities and at least one award will be to a project focused on improving outcomes among American Indian/Alaska Native communities. All other awards will be based on communities with a demonstrated maternal health and birth outcomes health disparity.

Awardees will receive planning funds ranging from $25,000-$50,000 to work with DOH staff in a three- month planning phase from July 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019, followed by three years of implementation of the proposed project starting on October 1, 2019. Funding beyond September 2020 is subject to availability.

Eligible entities are those with demonstrable experience working with and possessing cultural understanding of Non-Hispanic Black/African-American or American Indian/Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander communities as well as communities with a demonstrated disparity.

·       Public or private for- and nonprofit community based organizations to include Urban Indian health organizations.

·       Government organizations including local health jurisdictions, American Indian/Alaska Native Tribal governments and/or tribally designated organizations.

Our work together over the next three years will be critical to improving our understanding of how to reduce rates of maternal and infant health disparities and invest in community-based approaches and expertise.

FUNDING PRIORITIES

• Support and build upon strong community partnerships
• Utilize evidence based/evidence informed programs or community informed practices that are culturally relevant
• Address key social determinants of health impacting maternal health and birth outcomes
• Build community capacity and sustainability
• Identify evaluation strategies and sustainability approaches
• Implement responsive, community led approaches

 LETTER OF INTENT