THE NEW ( BETTER) NORMAL 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 4 ANNUAL REPORT
DEAR PARTNERS & FRIENDS
The year 2023 marked the 32nd anniversary for Baltimore Healthy Start, Inc.! Over this past year, we have continued to increase our footprint, services, and ability to contribute to positive outcomes for maternal & child health.
We’re changing the norm of how we take care of our mothers and babies by creating a new, better normal. In concert with our partners in B’More for Healthy Babies, we recorded record low infant deaths in 2023 and are on target for an even lower number in 2024. Losing any baby is a great loss to our community, however, reducing those numbers is something to be proud of.
Our Pathways to Infant Health Equity funding increased our ability to seek and serve women with substance use dependency and hypertension concerns. Through our work in Baltimore City zip codes 21216 and 21217, we demonstrated a 53.8% decrease in emergency room costs for our clients because we identified and addressed health concerns with our families before they became an emergency.
Gentrification in Baltimore City is driving families typically served by BHS out of the city and into surrounding suburban areas. Unfortunately, those areas do not always have services that are easily accessible to our families. In efforts to meet our families where they are, 2023 was the first time in our history that we served families outside of Baltimore City. Our Statewide Integrated Health Improvement (SIHIS) funding allowed us to serve 24 families living in Anne Arundel County. These families received home visits, cribs, car seats, emergency diapers and formula, transportation to appointments, and many other supportive services.
With the support of various funders, our Housing Program was able to assist 34 families with moving into more safer/affordable housing. Services like our Housing University, Housing Navigators, workforce development, rent and security deposit assistance, and moving and hauling assistance aided in the success of the program and are helping families improve their living situations.
On behalf of the board of directors, staff, and families of Baltimore Healthy Start, we thank our donors, grantors, volunteers, and friends for your continued support and belief in our work!
Warm Regards, Lashelle Stewart
48.3% DECREASE in infant deaths from 2023 to 2024 in Baltimore City
@ 12 months post-delivery = $677,111 LOWER emergency department costs
We helped people find & secure safe, AFFORDABLE HOUSING 34
997 SERVED in Baltimore City in 2023
Our expansion into Anne Arundel County marked the first time in our history that we have served people outside of Baltimore City
24 FAMILIES served in Anne Arundel County
THE HOUSING TRUTHS PROJECT
Study after study has shown that access to safe, quality, affordable housing — and support to maintain that housing — is one of the most powerful ways to enhance one’s mental and physical well-being. However, Baltimore Healthy Start (BHS) recognizes that many of the families we serve live in conditions that hinder them from growing in all areas of their lives. Shared Housing Navigator, Toye Dixon, “If you don’t have a stable place to live and you’re bouncing from place to place, sleeping in your car, having to go to a shelter…it’s hard to focus on keeping your job and getting your kids to school.”
Recognizing that there is a direct line between insecure housing, chronic stress, and maternal and infant mortality outcomes, our Community Action Network sought to address those issues. What we came up with: a university to educate people on being responsible tenants; efforts to educate and build engagement with landlords and developers so they would have more sensitivity to the challenges faced by BHS’s clients; and green spaces for moms and families to have a safe place for congregation and play.
To achieve these goals, BHS applied for and received a Catalyst for Infant Health Equity Grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.
Thanks to the five-year grant, we were able to hire Housing Navigators, who serve as a central point of connection. They provide oneon-one support to clients while also building relationships with landlords and developers. They can share knowledge and resources with the client to ensure they find and retain quality housing; connect them to pest control and cleaning services; direct them to funding for first month’s rent and security deposits (thanks to additional grants); provide support through budgeting and court issues; and much more. In short, BHS is continuing to do what we always do: focus on client-centered care.
On top of those three items, our big hairy audacious goal is to get 200 people in secure, safe housing across the five years the grant is in play. Three years in, we’re well on our way.
THE HOUSING UNIVERSITY
“You have to get the knowledge that you don’t know. And that’s what we have. Free advice to better your situation,” explained Dixon. Recognizing that many of our clients have never learned how to be great employees or great renters, our Housing University is structured around eight courses that touch upon renter’s rights and responsibilities, eviction, credit, budgeting, job readiness and searches, planning for the future, and more.
For each class a client attends, Healthy Start bucks are provided to the BHS store, where products like diapers, cleaning supplies, bottles, etc. can be purchased. For every four classes attended, a client receives a $50 gift card. Transportation to and from our East Baltimore location is provided and childcare is next on the list to make attending BHS’s Housing University even more manageable. By helping our participants become involved and informed tenants and employees, they become empowered to attain and retain safe, secure, and quality housing.
LANDLORD/DEVELOPER ENGAGEMENTS
One pathway to safer housing is through landlords and developers. Yet, “Landlords lost a lot due to COVID,” noted Interim Housing Director, Dana Gaskins, and many are unwilling to take a chance that could hurt their bottom line. We knew it would be up to us to build trust and goodwill with landlords and developers to encourage them to invest in our clients. Thanks to a survey we conducted in 2022, we had some ideas of how to achieve that.
In 2023 and 2024, we held free Housing Symposiums, where housing industry experts discussed topics such as recouping monetary damages to your unit, housing law updates, and current funding opportunities for future housing and development projects. Through these symposiums, we are able to deepen relationships with community members. We also partner with a landlord liaison who advocates
“The classes I took at Baltimore Healthy Start helped me out a lot when I was living at my old house…I was given cleaning supplies and tons of knowledge and help that I needed to succeed. My children and I are a lot happier now and I am so grateful for Baltimore Healthy Start, especially the Housing University!” — Ashley Faust
for the work we do to get greater buy-in and help partners understand the challenges facing our clients. Together, we are increasing access to quality, affordable, and safe living spaces for BHS families.
GREEN SPACES
Green spaces (or a lack thereof) can directly affect the health and well-being of our communities. They allow for social and physical activity, a connection to nature, and a place to rest and recharge. Communities without green spaces often have poorer health and safety outcomes.
We were able to take the empty space behind our building at 610 N. Chester Street and convert it into a green space for our families. With a beautiful mural on the wall, flowers, picnic tables, security fencing, and a tot lot, our visiting families love spending time outside! Over in West Baltimore, we partnered with a local community organization to take over the upkeep of the space, with a focus on making it greener, brighter, and more family-friendly.
Now, our babies have safe places to play and our families have community spaces in which to congregate and connect, all while bettering their overall health and well-being.
THE PATHWAYS PROJECT
Part of what makes Baltimore Healthy Start so successful is how integrated we are in the community. We regularly conduct home visits twice a month for pregnant and postpartum people, provide transportation to and from health care appointments, host classes and events for parents related to housing, education, health, and much more. Yet we’re always looking for ways to do more for our community.
Inspiration struck during a Maternal Mortality Review board meeting when BHS leaders recognized another way to support parents and babies. During the meeting, two recurring issues came up: hypertension and substance use. Both
The Pathways model of care pays special attention to health challenges that contribute to poor outcomes for mothers and babies. Call 410.383.8300 to speak with someone about participating in Pathways to Health.
of these were substantial factors in the health of a mom and her child. What if we could intervene before an issue became life-threatening?
For example, if we used blood pressure cuffs that allowed for remote monitoring, we could flag a spike before it became critical. In turn, we could get the mom the care she needed through one of our health partners, keeping her out of the emergency room and reducing those healthcare expenses. Similarly, if we could identify those with substance use dependency issues, we could focus on providing treatment, support, and reducing stressors that led to substance use. Better health = better outcomes for moms and babies.
To make this idea a reality, we applied for and received a Pathways to Health Equity grant from
OUR INTERVENTIONS LED TO A 53.8% DECREASE IN EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS
the State of Maryland. The grant allowed us to hire more staff members and purchase cellularcapable blood pressure cuffs that sent readings via emails to our team. We focused on pregnant and postpartum women and their infants living in certain neighborhoods within Baltimore City. And we tracked our outcomes to see whether our interventions were keeping people out of the emergency room for hypertension and substance use related issues.
We were delighted to see that our interventions led to a 53.8% decrease in emergency room visits for these reasons. Not only does it reduce the burden on families and the state to pay for these costs, but it means our families are staying healthier, leading to more stable outcomes in the prenatal and postpartum periods. And it’s not just moms and babies that are affected by these interventions — it’s dads too. They also benefit from increased access to blood pressure monitoring, as hypertension is prevalent within Black communities.
While the grant has now ended, we know that this works, which means we’re focused on expanding this effort to more families in more communities — starting with our expansion into Anne Arundel County. Said Maxine Reed-Vance, Deputy Director of Baltimore Healthy Start, “The combination of a proven intervention and opportunities for expansion will help us protect and save the lives of more moms, babies, and families.”
WE FOCUSED ON PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN AND THEIR INFANTS
WHO WE ARE
Baltimore Healthy Start (BHS) has been investing in the health and well-being of Baltimore’s families since 1991 by working to reduce infant mortality and perinatal health disparities. BHS provides direct services to the most vulnerable citizens in Baltimore: pregnant and postpartum women, their infants, and fathers living in socially, economically, and medically disadvantaged communities. Its health and wellness initiatives address access to health insurance, education, job opportunities, and a safe living environment, among other social determinants of health, to improve health outcomes.
WHAT WE DO
Baltimore Healthy Start, Inc. is committed to reducing infant mortality by utilizing a Life Course Perspective for improving the health and well-being of women and their families through the provision of comprehensive, supportive services in the communities where they live.
WHERE WE ARE
Baltimore Healthy Start, Inc. provides client-centered care to communities with rates of infant mortality at least one and a half times the US national average, and high rates for other adverse perinatal outcomes (e.g., low birth weight, preterm birth, maternal morbidity and mortality), in order to address the needs of high-risk women and their families before, during, and after pregnancy. We operate out of one fullservice community center and two satellite locations.
Middle East/Highlandtown
610 North Chester Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21205
410.675.2125
(Full Service)
Total Health Care
1501 Division Street
Baltimore, MD 21217
(Total Health Care clients ONLY)
Forest Park/Walbrook
2300 Garrison Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21216
410.362.4792
OUR BOARD
BOARD OFFICERS
REGINA WEBB BOARD PRESIDENT
Program Coordinator, Community Health
Kaiser Permanente
BOARD MEMBERS
ROBERT OLIVER ATLAS, MD
Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Mercy Medical Center
Maternal Fetal Medicine
ANGELA BURDEN, MA, BSN, RN
Faith Community Nurse Coordinator
FIMR Record Extractor
B’more for Healthy Babies
BRIDGET BLOUNT TREASURER
Integrated Data System Director Baltimore’s Promise
FRANCINE CHILDS
Baltimore City Health Department Designee
Assistant Commissioner Bureau of School Health
Baltimore City Health Department
JESSICA JACKSON
Labor and Delivery Nurse
Mercy Medical Center
TERRANCE LINDSEY
Community Health Worker
Sisters Together and Reaching
WHITNEY KAMIRAH SECRETARY
Strategic Healthcare Account Executive Confido
HEATHER ROSS
Health Insurance Specialist Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services
SARAH WALLACE Director of Operations A Baltimore Girl’s Story
2024 FINANCIALS
TOTAL REVENUE & SUPPORT
$3,109,882.30
54% FEDERAL 7% LOCAL 31% STATE 8% PRIVATE
