(Hickory, NC)—The North Carolina Chapter of March of Dimes has awarded a grant
of $25,000 to Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) for Maternity Services
Center Pregnancy Program for the 2015 year. “These grants address
maternal and child health issues such as the staggering prematurity rates
in our region that are of concern,” said Trish Hickling Beckman,
Director of Maternity Services at CVMC. Beckman along with Rudy Wright,
Mayor of Hickory, are serving as the 2015 Chairs for the Unifour March
for Babies.
Community grants are one way March of Dimes pursues its mission of improving
the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and
infant mortality. In 2013, the Foundation invested more than $4 million
in active research grants in North Carolina, some of which CVMC received.
“We have found that we can help mothers and babies decrease their
chances of early delivery through Centering Pregnancy; which is why we
will be offering the program in both English and Spanish led by certified
nurse midwives to local mothers,” Beckman said. “We are grateful
for the successful fundraising efforts, such as March for Babies that
make it possible for us to support new efforts to help more babies to
be born healthy.”
Centering Pregnancy is a proven effective health care model that provides
health assessments, education and support in a group setting, facilitated
by a care provider. Since 2007, healthcare officials across the state
have seen a substantial decline in prematurity rates amongst expectant
mothers who participated in Centering Pregnancy programs.
For more information on CVMC’s Centering program, contact Trish Hickling
Beckman, Director of Maternity Services at CVMC, at 828.326.3053 or by email at
tbeckman@catawbavalleymc.org. To connect with the North Carolina Chapter of March of Dimes, visit
marchofdimes.org/northcarolina.
2014 Community Grant Recipients:
- Catawba Valley Medical Center Maternity Services-Foothills/Hickory
- Guilford County Health Department- Triad/Greensboro
- Robeson County Health Department- Cape Fear/Lumberton
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences- Triad/Winston-Salem
- Womack Army Medical Center- Cape Fear/Ft. Bragg, Fayetteville
- UNC Center for Maternal and Infant Health- Eastern/Chapel Hill
ABOUT MARCH OF DIMES – March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization
for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, March of Dimes
works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature
birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit
marchofdimes.org or
nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
ABOUT CATAWBA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER – Catawba Valley Medical Center
(CVMC) in Hickory, NC, is the region’s largest not-for-profit, public
healthcare system serving the community without direct funding from taxes.
CVMC provides and promotes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being
in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness, preventive
medicine and acute care. CVMC received a fourth consecutive Magnet designation
from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2014 and has been recognized
by WomenCertified®with Women’s Choice Awards for America’s Best 100 Hospitals
for Patient Experience in 2012, 2013 & 2014; Best Hospital for Patient
Experience in Obstetrics in 2013, 2014 & 2015; America’s Best
Hospitals in Orthopedics in 2013 & 2014; and America’s Best
Hospitals in Cancer Care in 2014. CVMC received the 2013 & 2014 Premier
Inc. QUEST® Award for High-Value Healthcare recognizing its reduction in harm, mortality,
readmissions and costs and improvements in metrics for patient experience
and evidence-based care. For more information, please visit
http://www.catawbavalleymedical.org.