DHA Impact Report 2021

IMPACT REPORT

2021 www.deltahealthalliance.org

Dear Friends, As we finish another year, DHA continues to work on health and education in the Delta communities that we serve. Through our collaborations with communities, leaders, and many partners, DHA works to improve the lives of the people we serve through our growing number of programs and services.

We wanted to share with you some of the ways that we are making a transformative difference in the Delta. These positive outcomes are spread across the spectrum of our successful and proven programs. Some of our more notable improvements last year included: • Significant reductions in pre-term births and babies born with low birth weights • Decreases in diabetes risk indicators such as blood pressure and cholesterol • Increases in the number of children ready for kindergarten • Reductions in students dropping out of school • Lower numbers of juvenile court referrals DHA programs such as Healthy Pregnancy, Parents As Teachers, CARES Mentoring and Delta B.L.U.E.S. for diabetics are making these outcomes possible. DHA’s staff of experienced and dedicated professionals are in our Delta communities every day, working with participants and recruiting new members into our programs.

Last year also saw DHA heavily involved in COVID vaccine education and outreach through our Mississippi R.I.V.E.R. program, which utilized various media platforms to deliver the message of the importance of vaccinations – a message that reached every Mississippian approximately 33 times.

As a result of our efforts, vaccination rates among Black Mississippians increased significantly.

All of these findings add up to one conclusion: DHA is committed to the residents of the communities we serve. And we plan to continue that effort now and in the years to come.

We hope you’re encouraged by the information presented in our Impact Report for 2021 and that you will continue to support DHA in all of our efforts. We thank you for your help and support to ensure that the future is bright.

Delta Health Alliance (DHA) administers over 30 grant-funded programs that address health, education and community needs to improve quality of life for historically disadvantaged residents in the Mississippi Delta and beyond.

Sincerely,

Bill Kennedy Chairman, DHA Board of Directors 1

E A RLY CHILDHOO D TO KIN DE RG A RTE N

MISSISSIPPI 2019

2019

2020

The rate in the DHA service area dropped by more than double the change observed statewide.

2019

Proficiency rates decreased statewide due to COVID-related learning loss, virtual school, and increased school absences.

2017

2017

20

While the state average dropped during the pandemic, Early Literacy Scores the reading proficiency rates in Hollandale and Ruleville increased.

2021

HOLLANDALE

STATE AVERAGE

2018

LELAND

2017

INDIANOLA

SUNFLOWER

HOLLANDALE

2016 to 2020

STATE AVERAGE

LELAND

Very Low Birth Weight among Black Women

INDIANOLA

2016 to 2020

Students in Indianola and Leland saw steady increases in the share of children meeting proficiency standards and passed the state average in 2019.

4 OR MORE DHA PROGRAMS

-32%

Research shows students who are not proficient readers by third grade struggle to keep up in school later in life and are far more likely to dropout before graduating high school. DHA aims to increase third grade reading proficiency through programs like Literacy Fellows in the Deer Creek and Indianola Promise Communities. Our staff provides high-quality, research-based Low Birthweight reading instruction and intervention to students at-risk of -32% not reaching proficiency.

3 DHA PROGRAMS

Low Birthweight

EARLY LITERACY SCORES

Very Low Birth Weight among Black Women

2016

4 OR MORE

NONPARTICIPANTS

Change 2017 to 2021

-17%

3

Indianola Promise Community, Fall 2020

At-risk birth Program Participants Change 2017 to 2021 outcomes among participants decreased

Preterm Birth

1 OR 2

1 OR 2 DHA PROGRAMS

Birth Outcomes for

Students are better prepared for kindergarten if they participate in one or more DHA programs.

0

STATE AVERAGE

The Healthy Pregnancy Program matches low-income pregnant mothers in a seventeencounty service area with one of our healthy pregnancy coaches. Our staff coordinates care with provider clinics, identifies support services, and educates mothers on their health and child development.

Research has documented the negative impact COVID-19 has had on child development and school performance, which makes the education programs DHA offers more important than ever.

RULEVILLE

The continuum of programs that DHA offers in the Mississippi Delta impact health and education from conception. Participants in DHA’s Healthy Pregnancy Program saw the best outcomes in 2021, despite the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis.

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

PRE N ATAL TO B I RT H

2

SC H OO L K-12

HIGH SCHOO L TO CA RE E R

TOP

TOP

3

10

The Leland School District was the third best school district in the state for students ready -76% for kindergarten.

Since our Deer Creek Promise Community began, Leland School District’s high school dropout rate decreased, breaking from the typical relationship between high poverty and dropout rates. Leland School District has a very high poverty rate, but has decreased their dropout rate by 75% in just 4 years.

The Leland School District now ranks among the top 10 school districts in Mississippi for lowest school dropout rate.

# of Juvenile Court Referrals per Capita

400

400

300

300

200

Promise Community programs like Life Skills and Sunflower FAST (Families and Schools Together, Inc.) contribute Mississippi to declines in juvenile court referral rates among Other Counties 15 to 19-year-old residents by offering support to adolescents, pre-adolescents and their families.

200

4 5 0 0 Students in the Leland and Hollandale School Districts

The pipeline of programs in DHA’s Promise Communities helps students achieve more in school, positively engage with their community, and prepare them for lifelong success.

25%

21%

Juvenile Court referrals in 9% Sunflower County decreased by 76%.

100

4%

100

0

Per 1,000 population aged 15-19

500

600

Mississippi By County

Reach Deer Creek Promise Community (DCPC)

0

2019 2020 Leland School District

-76%

2019

2020

Hollandale School District Rate per 1,000 Youth, Age 15-19

SUNFLOWER

Students with college-ready ACT scores

MISSISSIPPI

2013

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

360

87

2013

2019

Students with co ready ACT sco

Change 2017 to 2

Issaquena County dropped due to low population; population estimates from American Community Survey 2014-18, table S0101; Court data from Kids Count database, Annie E. Casey Foundation, sourced from Division of Youth Services annual reports

DCPC’s College Promise Initiative prepares students to succeed in college.

Leland and HollandaleLeland School Districts saw a substantial +14% increase in the share of students with college-ready ACT scores.

360

87

+14% Leland

Hollanda

+17%

+17%

Hollandale

Students with ACT scores 21 or above, Change 2019 to 2020 3

Community Well-Being LO N GE VIT Y

A D U LT H OO D

DHA’s programs improve well-being for individuals and families, contributing to more vibrant and healthy communities.

Type II diabetes is a prevelant yet preventable disease.

Mississippi regularly has one of the highest diabetes rates in the nation. DHA operates two programs that combat high diabetes rates in the Mississippi Delta, focusing on residents with diabetes and at-risk of diabetes.

80 70 60 50

Because many of our 40 program participants receive public health insurance 30 through Medicaid or Research indicates that 20 Medicare, improved diabetes preventing one case of management and reduced risk 10 diabetes saves $9,601 of morbidity and mortality for MS RIVER INITIATIVE in excess medical the people we serve stands 0 to save taxpayers money on JUL 2021expenditures per year.

FEB 2021 medical spending.

5% 10%

0%

5%

of Riskwere Factors Low-income diabetic patients Reduction Participants able in DHA’s Delta B.L.U.E.S (Better Baseline Change, Delta Blues 2021 to reduce four health risk Living Utilizing Engagement factors within 9 months.

Strategies) program work with health care providers Baseline at two Delta clinics to 4 help participants manage 3 diabetes and connect with 2 other services. Diabetes risk Mississippi Vaccination Trends indicators like cholesterol 1. Triglycerides levels and blood pressure First Dose 2. Systolic Blood decreased substantially among 1 Pressure participants who regularly 3. Cholesterol visited an endocrinologist at 4. Hemoglobin A1C Level our Leland Medical Clinic or our partner clinic, the Leflore County Health Center.

Our health programs not only improve the physical and mental health of participants but allow people to live longer, healthier lives and contribute positively to their communities. In school programs, we focus on preparing students to succeed in the classroom and reach higher levels of education, which research shows leads to more productive, engaged members of communities.

67%

58%

JAN 2022

Our W.O.R.C. (Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities) program connects people to job training needed for employment in the Delta’s high-demand education and health professions and provides BLACK support services like financial literacy courses. Our workforce efforts ensure that Delta residents have good paying jobs and foster more economically WHITE prosperous and resilient communities.

Improving communities by improving the quality of life of individuals motivates DHA’s holistic approach to serving the Mississippi Delta and the people who call it home.

Mississippi became the first southern state where the Black vaccination rate exceeded the White vaccination rate.

Mississippi COVID-19 Vacination Population with first dose 80 70

67%

67% BLACK

58%

WHITE 58%

60 50 40 30 20 10

10%

0

5% FEB 2021

MS RIVER INITIATIVE JUL 2021

In 2021, DHA focused heavily on BLACK

community outreach and vaccine education through our Mississippi R.I.V.E.R. (Recognizing Important WHITE Vaccine and Education Resources) program. And the results were measurable. Vaccination rates among Black Mississippians increased steadily following the start of Mississippi R.I.V.E.R and our efforts contributed to Mississippi outpacing many other southern states.

JAN 2022

4

DHA Program Highlight: Healthy Pregnancy

Delta Health Alliance Makes a Difference for Mississippi Moms Sophia Young wanted to be more than a number. And when it came to pregnancy, she learned that some numbers can be life altering.

“I needed to know about all the things that could hurt my baby,” said Young, a 26-year-old mother of three.

So to understand the challenges and risks that come with child bearing, Young joined the Delta Health Alliance (DHA) Healthy Pregnancy Program for her third pregnancy.

“The program showed me that there are people who genuinely care about you as a person and not just a number,” said Young.

The numbers and challenges, meanwhile, are underscored in a new 2022 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that show the nation’s maternal death rate has increased every year from 2018 to 2020 from about 17 deaths per 100,000 live births to nearly 24 per 100,000. The overall number of women identified as having died of maternal causes has also risen. The rates for Black women were even higher.

And in Mississippi, as high as 10 percent of pregnant women who give birth smoke cigarettes during pregnancy. Those smokers put their babies at risk for certain birth defects and increase the chances that their babies will be born too early or have low birth weights.

Smoking also raises the odds of stillbirth or sudden infant death syndrome. A significant number of pre-term births in Mississippi also place newborns at risk for health and developmental problems as they grow, and are a leading cause of early infancy death. Pre-term births are significantly higher among Black women.

The Healthy Pregnancy Program is changing those numbers in its 17-county service area, and has recently shown its best outcomes since the program began in 2017. From its start to 2021, rates of pre-term births and low birthweights among Healthy Pregnancy participants declined by 17 percent and 32 percent, respectively. Very low birthweights among Black women in the service area saw a drop that was double the change seen in Mississippi’s overall population.

The program works by matching lower-income pregnant mothers with one of DHA’s healthy pregnancy coaches. Program staff coordinate care with provider clinics, identify support services, and educate mothers on their health and child development. The program is sponsored and supported by DHA in collaboration with public and private partners.

DHA’s team of Healthy Pregnancy coaches

“I would recommend this program to others to help them make sure they are healthy, and their baby is healthy.

The health coaches really care about you and your unborn baby and you can tell.”

Sophia Young, Healthy Pregnancy participant

“This program also helped me to stop smoking while being pregnant, which is something I didn’t do with my other two children,” said Young.

But there was more. Through the Healthy Pregnancy Program, Young learned: • The importance of doctor’s appointments and the vital questions to ask a physician.

• About various tests performed during pregnancy and the accompanying conditions and terminology.

• Why breastfeeding is important to a baby’s growth and overall health.

• The importance of a healthy diet and how it affects the body.

Young, who became aware of the Healthy Pregnancy Program through a close friend who was already participating, said she’s now more aware of how she treats her body and has learned new ways to be a better mother.

“My coach was real with me and broke everything down for me, checked on me and mentored me throughout and even after my pregnancy,” said Young. “That made it real easy for me to open up and allow them to help me.”

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Board of Directors (As of 04/2022)

Bill Kennedy, Chair The Honorable Willie Bailey, Vice Chair Woods Eastland Donald Green Walton Gresham Dr. Joyce McNair Dr. Cass Pennington Lisa Percy Willie Simmons Dr. Myrtis Tabb

Funding Partners Amerigroup BUILD Health Challenge CDC Foundation Guaranty Bank and Trust Mississippi Division of Medicaid Mississippi State Department of Health Mississippi State University Phil Hardin Foundation SAMSHA Strive Together The Beaumont Foundation United Healthcare U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of Education U.S. Department of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Justice Whole Kids Foundation

Regional & National Program Partners Administration for Children and Families Alcorn State University AmeriCorps*VISTA Annie E. Casey Foundation Christian Brothers University Department of Labor Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Feeding America Girl Scouts – Heart of the South Hope Credit Union Mississippi Governor’s Office - GEER Office of Adolescent Health Office of Head Start Office of Rural Health Parents as Teachers Parents for Public Schools Porter Leath Rhodes College SAMHSA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Save the Children Sesame Workshop Teach for America University of Memphis University of Tennessee Urban Child Institute

State Program Partners Capps Technology Center Center for Community Research and Evaluation at University of Memphis Children’s Defense Fund

Coahoma Community College Delta Council Delta Housing Development Corporation Delta State University Entergy Excel By 5 Fourth District Drug Courts LIFE (Living Independence for Everyone) of Mississippi Mississippi 211 Mississippi Access to Care Network Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police Mississippi Center for Education Innovation Mississippi Center for Justice Mississippi Community Financial Access Coalition Mississippi Delta Community College Mississippi Department of Employment Security Mississippi Department of Health Mississippi Department of Human Services Mississippi Farm To School Network Mississippi Food Corps, partner on USDA Community Foods project Mississippi Food Network Mississippi Health Advocacy Program Mississippi Low Income Childcare Initiative Mississippi State Department of Education Mississippi State University - NSPARK Mississippi United to End Homelessness Mississippi Valley State University Planter’s Bank and Trust Renasant Bank South Delta Regional Housing Authority Southern Bancorp The Diaper Bank of the Delta Tougaloo College University of Mississippi – Jumpstart University of Mississippi Center for Excellence in Literacy Instruction University of Southern Mississippi Writing Project at University of Mississippi

Local Program Partners Aaron E Henry Community Health Service Center B.B. King Museum Baptist Memorial HospitalNorth Mississippi Bayou Academy Bolivar County Community Action Agency Bolivar County Council on Aging Bolivar Medical Center Bolivar Medical OB/GYN Carroll County School District Center CME Church- Indianola Church of Christ- Ruleville City of Greenwood City of Indianola City of Leland City of Mound Bayou Churches City of Ruleville Clarksdale Municipal School District Coahoma County School District Coahoma County Youth Outreach Delta Advantage Center Delta Arts Alliance Delta Cotton Belles Delta Family Medical Center

Delta Health System Desoto Family Counseling Center Forever Lifting Youth (FLY Zone) Friendship MBC G Hope MBC Greenville Christian School Greenwood Community Center Greenwood Leflore Consolidated Public School District, formerly Greenwood Public School District Greenwood Leflore Hospital Hollandale Economic Community Development Foundation Hollandale School District Indianola Literacy Coalition Indianola Mayor’s Health Council Indianola P-16 Council King Temple Leflore County Health Center Leland Deacon Alliance Leland School District Mallory Community Health Center Merit Health River Region Mississippi State University Extension Carroll County Mt. Moriah Church- Indianola New Jerusalem MBC New Mount Zion MBC North Sunflower Medical Center On Track Community Development Corporation Our House, Inc Parents for Public Schools Parkwood Behavioral Health System Pave /Med Ed Services Pecan Grove Therapeutic Home Quitman County School District Rainbow Learning Center Rasperry Men’s Club Region I: Fairland Treatment Center Rosedale Freedom Project South Delta School District South Sunflower County Hospital Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center St Luke MBC Stop and Shop- Leland Sunflower County Childcare Association Sunflower County Consolidated School District Sunflower County Freedom Project Sunflower County Judicial System Sunflower County Ministerial Alliance Sunflower County United for Children Sunflower Humphreys County Progress, Inc. The Endocrine Clinic – Dr. Jay Cohen Town of Arcola Town of Hollandale Town of Inverness Vicksburg-Warren School District Warren-Washington- Issaquena-Sharkey Community Action Agency, Inc. Washington County Economic Alliance Washington County Judicial System Washington County Opportunities, Inc. Washington County Sheriff’s Department Yazoo City School District Yazoo County School District

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