Momentum Park

"WHERE MOMS COME FIRST AND EVERY MOMENT MATTERS" IS COMMITTED TO OPTIMIZING THE HEALTH, LIVES, AND WELLBEING OF EXPECTANT MOTHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH THE INTEGRATION OF MEDICINE, PUBLIC HEALTH, POLICY, AND ECHNOLOGY.

1. EXPANSION OF SHERO SERVICES IN 2023, MOMENTUM PARK SECURED FEDERALLY-BACKED FUNDING TO EXPAND SHERO SERVICES TO NEW ORLEANS, WHICH LEADS THE NATION IN MATERNAL AND INFANT MORTALITY RATES. THIS FUNDING WILL ENABLE US TO EXTEND CRITICAL MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES TO OVER 5,000 MOTHERS AND THEIR BABIES OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, BEGINNING IN 2024. WE ARE FOCUSED ON PROVIDING CULTURALLY AND RACIALLY CONCORDANT EDUCATION, DIGITAL TECH PLATFORMS, AND COMMUNITY-BASED PERINATAL SUPPORT, WITH A SPECIFIC EMPHASIS ON BIPOC FAMILIES. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR THE SHERO EXPANSION.

2. SHERO OMAHA EXPANSION LEVERAGING PRIVATE GRANT FUNDING, WE EXPANDED SHERO OMAHA SERVICES IN COLLABORATION WITH CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY'S COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER APPRENTICE PROGRAM. MOMENTUM PARK LED PERINATAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR ALL ENROLLED CHWS AND RECRUITED TWO CHWS TO SERVE OVER 250 EXPECTANT MOTHERS. THESE CHWS PROVIDED PERINATAL SUPPORT, CASE MANAGEMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND OUTREACH THROUGH OUR VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMS. WE ALSO COMBATED PERINATAL MISINFORMATION THROUGH OUR GROWING SHERO SISTERHOOD SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND ENHANCED TECH SKILLS AMONG MOTHERS USING OUR SHERO POWERED BY BIRTH BY US (BBU) PLATFORM. ADDITIONALLY, WE BOLSTERED THE BLACK ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE BY RECRUITING AND RETAINING BIPOC STAFF TO LEAD OUR EQUITY-DRIVEN SERVICES IN DOUGLAS COUNTY, NE. 5. STRENGTHENING NATIONAL VISIBILITY AND LEADERSHIP MOMENTUM PARK REINFORCED ITS POSITION AS A LEADER IN ADVANCING MATERNAL HEALTH EQUITY BY WELCOMING NEW BOARD MEMBERS FROM THE TECHNOLOGY, MEDICAL, AND PUBLIC HEALTH SECTORS, ALL OF WHOM BRING EXPERTISE ALIGNED WITH OUR MISSION. WE INCREASED NATIONAL VISIBILITY THROUGH MEDIA COVERAGE AND PRESENTATIONS AT MAJOR CONFERENCES, INCLUDING HLTH, THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY (ACOG), THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION, AND WELLSKY. OUR 2023 EVENTS INCLUDED MOTHER'S DAY: A MOMENT FOR MOMS, BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK, AND OUR 3RD ANNUAL HOLIDAY JINGLE JAM, WHICH FOCUSED ON EXPANDING SHERO SERVICES TO NEW ORLEANS AND RAISED AWARENESS OF THE STATE OF BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH. THE EVENING CONCLUDED WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE HONORING THE LIVES LOST DUE TO THE MATERNAL AND INFANT MORTALITY CRISIS.

3. ENGAGING FATHERS IN MATERNAL HEALTH IN 2023, MOMENTUM PARK INTRODUCED NEW INITIATIVES TO UNDERSTAND AND ENGAGE BLACK MEN AND FATHERS DURING THE PERINATAL PERIOD, ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR CRITICAL ROLE IN MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH OUTCOMES. IN 2024, WE WILL FURTHER EXPLORE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AND ASSESS THEIR NEEDS WITH THE GOAL OF LAUNCHING A MOMENTUM PARK HERO PROGRAM TO SUPPORT FATHERS AND PARTNERS, EXPANDING OUR IMPACT ON MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH OUTCOMES.

4. SOUL SISTER SATURDAY: A HEART TO HEART FOR BLACK WOMEN WE LAUNCHED SOUL SISTER SATURDAY IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, A STATE WITH SOME OF THE HIGHEST MATERNAL AND PERINATAL HEALTH RISKS IN THE COUNTRY. FUNDED BY THE MS PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE, THIS EVENT FOCUSED ON RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT PERINATAL AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH DISPARITIES THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT BLACK WOMEN. THE EVENT ADDRESSED HIGH-RISK CONDITIONS LIKE PREECLAMPSIA, GESTATIONAL DIABETES, POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION, PROVIDING PARTICIPANTS WITH TOOLS TO MANAGE THEIR HEALTH DURING PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM. ADDITIONALLY, A COMPREHENSIVE SOUL SISTER SATURDAY WORKBOOK AND GUIDE WAS CREATED TO SERVE AS AN ONGOING RESOURCE FOR THE MS PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE INSTITUTE'S SERVICE POPULATION.