Michigan Awards $300,000 to Birthing Hospitals, Connects Families with

Services
Contact: Jennifer Smith 517-241-2112
For Immediate Release: December 30, 2014
LANSING, Mich. The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) today announced
that $300,000 will be distributed among 30 birthing hospitals in Michigan to help connect
families to evidence-based home visiting programs including the Maternal Infant Health
Program (MIHP) and to the Childrens Special Health Care Services (CSHCS).
Michigans birthing hospitals have the unique opportunity help link newborns and their families
to important support services as they transition home, said Nick Lyon, director of the MDCH.
Connecting Michigan families to these resources is crucial to reducing infant deaths, improving
the health of babies at birth, during their first year of life, and throughout early childhood.
Home visiting programs like MIHP are proving that infants with home visiting services have a
better chance to stay alive and thrive, which are priorities for Governor Rick Snyder and MDCH
as part of Michigans Infant Mortality Reduction Plan. The new funds will support birthing
hospital nursery staff in identifying, educating and referring Medicaid beneficiaries to home
visiting services. The nursery staff will also identify, educate and refer families of infants who
may qualify for CSHCS to their local health department, where children and their families can be
assessed for eligibility.
The MIHP program is Michigans largest home visiting program for pregnant women and infants
insured by Medicaid. Through the MIHP program, home visits are conducted by registered
nurses and licensed social workers, which has been proven to reduce the number of babies
born too small and too early. Reducing preterm births helps ensure that babies will survive,
grow and develop into healthy children.
The MDCH CSHCS is a family-centered program for children (and some adults) with chronic
health care needs that require specialized care. The program assists with specialized health
care needs for the purpose of helping the children achieve the highest quality of life to access
the broadest possible range of needed medical care, health education and support.
For the full list of birthing hospitals receiving funds for this support,
visithttp://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Birthing_Hospitals_Funded_477919_7.pdf . To
read Michigans Infant Mortality Reduction Plan, visit www.michigan.gov/infantmortality.
For more information about the MIHP or CSHCS,
visit www.michigan.gov/mihp, www.michigan.gov/cshcs, or contact your local health
department.