Beloit Leaders Join Wisconsin Partnership Program's Infant Mortality Initiative

Madison, Wisconsin - Stateline United Way Director Steve Kinkade, Community Health Systems, Inc. CEO Richard Perry and Beloit School Superintendent Milton Thompson have joined a community coalition dedicated to ending the high rates of African-American infant mortality in Beloit.

"We're thrilled to have such distinguished community leaders at the table with this effort," says Angela Moore, Beloit Life program leader. "They all have a deep understanding of the social factors that drive the health of individuals and their communities."

Earlier this summer, the Wisconsin Partnership Program awarded a $200,000 planning grant to Beloit Life: Pathways to Healthy African American Families.

The funds were awarded as part of the Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families, the Wisconsin Partnership Program's $10 million overall commitment to address infant mortality in Wisconsin's black community. The program is part of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

The Beloit coalition includes strong partnerships with the Rock County Health Department, area health care providers, educational institutions and community groups. It will use the grant to plan for improving access to maternal and child health resources and creating an action plan tailored to Beloit that use evidence-based practices to close the racial disparity in birth outcomes.

From 2002 to 2006, Beloit's infant mortality rate among African-Americans (17 deaths per 1,000 births) was more than double the rate for white babies born in Beloit (7.5 per 1,000 births). It is more than three times higher than the rate for white babies born either Rock County or statewide, both about five deaths per 1,000 births.

Steve Kinkade says the Lifecourse Initiative aligns with the goals of the Stateline United Way.

"This is an important facet of creating optimal health in the Beloit community," Kincade says. "Our children and their families can only achieve their potential if they are healthy."