Nubian Health Network - News

2nd Annual WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE Awards Luncheon and Fashion Show - May 24th 2008

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:15:16 +0000

A worthy cause - did you know that African American women receiving prenatal care at The Birth Place birthing center in 2007 had no premature or low-birth weight babies? The average baby weighed 7lbs 7ozs and was born around the 39th week of pregnancy. Nationally Black women have twice as many babies born too soon, too small and too sick to survive their first year of life as White babies. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE THIS WORK. Read on.............

Fifth Third Bank Orlando Magic Maker Monica May: Committed To Others

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:43:39 +0000

ORLANDO Her reasons for being tremendously involved with two local benevolent organizations while trying to balance a career and mentor her 19 year-old daughter are quite simple: intuition and common sense.

It was Fifth Third Bank Orlando Magic Maker Monica May's intuition that led her to become extensively involved with the programs Common Sense Childbirth Inc., and consider Your Image, a non-profit organization she founded herself. And it's common sense that drives her today.

"I know there is a simple way to life," explains May. "If there is an opportunity to help put together a road map for young people, I want to be a part of that."

But May has been more than just a part of children's lives. In her work with Common Sense Childbirth, Inc., May helps to inspire a change in maternal child healthcare. The program empowers mothers (especially young and indigent) to bring healthy babies to term. The model was created by May's close friend, Jennie Joseph, a midwife who specializes in providing prenatal healthcare and nurturing to populations that
typically don't get the proper treatment in traditional health settings.

Midwives struggle with high costs

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:59:05 +0000

From tampabay.com. In Print: Monday, February 23, 2009.

WINTER GARDEN - This Central Florida office feels more like a home than a maternity ward, with portraits of glowing mothers-to-be proudly displayed on the walls leading to the "suites." The Van Gogh room has a nighttime feel, with a dark blue couch near a star-designed quilted bed and the Starry Night painting hanging above.

And then there is the birthing stool oddly found in the mix, looking more like a misplaced item in a bedroom.

First Annual 'Fun'draising Cruise!

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:06:52 +0000

2009 is off to a great start and I am writing to personally wish you all the very best for this upcoming year. I am excited to announce the launch of my Campaign for Healthier Babies and to invite you to come sail the high seas with us in October - yes, we are going on a CRUISE to The Bahamas! This will be our first annual 'fun'draising cruise and I am looking forward to some much needed down time with my family and yours. Come hang out with us, bring your friends, co-workers and relatives and let's have some fun! Imagine this - cruising can help us raise funds for Commonsense Childbirth, our non-profit program, which provides prenatal care, education and support for uninsured and low income women at The Birth Place. We maintain an 'open door' policy at our Easy Access clinics - no woman will be turned away if she needs help with her pregnancy. More and more women are struggling to find a way to pay for maternity care or are having trouble securing Medicaid. We often see women who are more than 30 weeks advanced in their pregnancy, still waiting for their application to go through and unable to find a practitioner to help them. We also set up Easy Access Clinics in Sanford, Orange City and Daytona last year. Our motto is ''every woman wants a healthy baby and every woman deserves one" the need is great and it is getting worse. We know our program is making a difference - of 245 women who attended our Easy Access clinic at The Birth Place in 2008 only 2% had a premature baby. The average for Orange County is 15% and is even higher for African American women. They say it costs around $37,000 - $50,000 in medical care per preterm baby; this means that we saved the State more than $1 million by helping the other 13% carry their babies to full term. (If you've ever been a patient, you know how hard we work to make sure you can reach us around the clock if you need help). Our recent study proved that my midwifery model, The JJ Way™, is making an impact - I like my babies cute and chunky! Your financial support enables us to continue to offer prenatal care and classes to the most vulnerable women and babies in our community. There are many ways to help us please check the Campaign page . Thank you for caring! Call Kaevon at 407 654 9900 or e-mail her at worldtravelst@aol.com - $50 deposit is due by Februaury 1st to secure your spot. Check out the attachments for more details. See you soon... Jennie

Eartha Kitt Succumbs To Colon Cancer - Story Courtesy of www.blackdoctor.org

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:17:09 +0000

Eartha Kitt Succumbs To Colon Cancer
30-Dec-2008

(BlackDoctor.org) -- Singer, dancer, actress Eartha Kitt, who rose from the South Carolina cotton fields to become an international symbol of elegance and sensuality, has died. Kitt, who was recently treated at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, died on Christmas Day in Connecticut of colon cancer at 81.

President-elect Obama Outlines New Health Care Plan

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:47:19 +0000

The Obama-Biden Plan

On health care reform, the American people are too often offered two extremes -- government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why they’ve proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.

The Obama-Biden plan provides affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, builds on the existing health care system, and uses existing providers, doctors, and plans. Under the Obama-Biden plan, patients will be able to make health care decisions with their doctors, instead of being blocked by insurance company bureaucrats.

Midwives Group Applauds American Medical Associations Statement on Racism

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:46:42 +0000

PushNews from The Big Push for Midwives Campaign

CONTACT: Steff Hedenkamp, (816) 506-4630, RedQuill@kc.rr.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, July 10, 2008

Midwives Group Applauds American Medical Association’s Statement on Racism
Calls on AMA to Extend Its Apologies to African American Midwives

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 10, 2008)—Breaking 40 years of silence, the American Medical Association (AMA) issued an apology today for its role in ignoring and perpetuating racial disparities in medicine, from discriminatory practices that excluded African American physicians from membership, to the disproportionately poor health outcomes among racial and ethnic minorities.

Central Florida programs boost chances for babies of at-risk pregnant women

Tue, 06 May 2008 11:16:16 +0000

Gabrielle Finley | Sentinel Staff Writer | April 23, 2008
Read the original article at the Orlando Sentinel

Programs help at-risk moms-to-be, to give children a better chance.

SANFORD - Shanette Lee thought hope was around the corner.

Her life had not been easy. Brushes with the law landed her in prison for a few years.

Then a relationship in New Jersey went sour, causing Lee, 29 and three months pregnant, to head to relatives in Sanford. But things got worse, and Lee ended up at a homeless shelter, rationing the prenatal vitamins she got back in New Jersey.

Latest FACTS About Women and HIV - Pay Attention Sistahs, It Is Getting Worse!

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:45:40 +0000

Global Impact of HIV/AIDS on Women

Of the estimated 39.5 million people living with HIV in 2006, 17.7 million (45%) were women. Women are most severely affected by AIDS in places where heterosexual contact is the dominant mode of transmission. According to the WHO, most women become infected through their partner’s high-risk behavior, which they have little or no control over. Women who are financially dependent on male partners are at a disadvantage in negotiating condom use.

For more information on the global impact of HIV/AIDS on women see the AIDS Epidemic Update, December 2006

Premature Births - New Study October 2006

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 20:48:44 +0000

Premature births account for more than 30 percent of infant deaths, scientists say

By MIKE STOBBE

The Associated Press

ATLANTA – Scientists now say a third of infant deaths are due to premature births — a much larger percentage than previously thought.

In the past, "preterm birth" has been the listed cause of death in fewer than 20 percent of newborn fatalities. But that number should be 34 percent or more, said researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That's because at least a dozen causes of newborn death are actually problems that go hand-in-hand with premature births, such as respiratory distress syndrome caused by underdeveloped lungs.

A Florida Treasure!

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 15:15:44 +0000

Bahama Village midwife delivered more than 100 babies

BY MANDY BOLEN

Citizen Staff

KEY WEST

The 200 block of Truman Avenueis a study in contrasts. A Hummer is parked along the curb while rusting tin roofs cover parts of the few houses not yet bought, renovated and sold. The aged Bethel AME Church endures at the entrance to the block, but in the middle, old homes are becoming new condominiums and the ceaseless thunder of power tools rattle Mary Weech's jalousies, making it difficult for the 76-year-old woman to hear her telephone ring.

In Honor of Mrs King

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:18:16 +0000

Click here for a series of pitures of Coretta Scott Kings funeral.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4691604.stm

http://www.nabj.org/

Click below for an obituary to Mrs. King

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4666222.stm

News Articles

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/sayitloud/hutchinson203

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/scottking208

Nation Honors Rosa Parks

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:30:43 +0000

Video clip of Rosa Parks memorial service 10/30/05.

Florida HIV Cases are Decreasing - Press Release June 17, 2005

Sat, 18 Jun 2005 14:05:25 +0000

DOH ANNOUNCES DECREASE IN HIV CASES AMONG BLACKS

--Efforts of the many heroic community based programs result in a Phenomenal Decrease--

Tallahassee - Today, June 17, 2005,Florida Department of Health (DOH) Secretary John O. Agwunobi, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., announced a 30 percent decrease over the past six years of HIV cases among blacks in Florida. HIV cases in Florida have dropped 24 percent among black men and 36 percent among black women. DOH strives to cut the new HIV infection rate among blacks by half in the next few years.

“DOH is fervently working to close the gap between adequate health and Florida’s minority populations,” said Agwunobi. “The department attributes this success to our HIV prevention measures and efforts to reduce barriers to early diagnosis and increase access to quality care and treatment for all Floridians.”