Perinatal Outreach Program

     The Perinatal Outreach Program is funded by the  Child and Family Health Services grant in an effort to reduce the prematurity birth rate in the city of East Cleveland.  The premature birth rate for East Cleveland is 14.1 per 100 births and exceeds the current rate for the state of Ohio.  Prematurity can lead to serious health consequences.  It increases the risk of morbidity (sickness) and mortality (death) in infants.  Premature infants are at risk for developmental, chronic respiratory, and vision problems.  A Public Health Nurse provides education and assistance to clients of the East Cleveland Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Center (NEON) to promote healthy outcomes for pregnant women and their babies.    

Program Services

• Monthy home visits for the duration of the pregnancy and several times after the baby is born to educate and assist the family.
• Regular visits to the middle school and high school in East Cleveland to provide preventative education to students.
• Education includes healthy pregnancy, nutrition,  Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention, the birth process, effective parenting, smoking /drug cessation, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) , care of mom and baby after birth, and contraception to prevent future unplanned pregnancies.
• Referrals to appropriate social services. 

For more information about this program please contact Cassandra Hilliard at 216-201-2001 ext 1328 or chilliard@ccbh.net.

  Nursing Homepage