Florida Healthy Babies- Hernando Partnership

Florida Healthy Babies is a collaborative statewide initiative to positively influence social determinants of health, while reducing racial disparities in infant mortality. This project engages the department’s 67 local health offices and numerous partners within each county to address disparities with evidence-based interventions. 

Similar to the state, in Hernando County, too many babies are dying from preventable deaths and Black babies die at twice the rate of White babies.

To address these problems, our community must work together to find solutions that promote and protect the health of all babies in Florida

Florida Healthy Babies-Hernando is a community partnership whose purpose is to have conversations and take actions that will decrease the number infant deaths and will lessen the gap in deaths between Black and White infants. 

The Florida Healthy Babies-Hernando Partnership meets virtually. Please contact Candi Cook for information on the next meeting at Candi.Cook@flhealth.gov 

GOALS of the Florida Healthy Babies-Hernando Partnership

• Adopt a community campaign to promote Safe Sleep behaviors within the community and by health care providers.  Target hard-to-reach families and those families at increased risk for preventable infant mortality, including Blacks and Hispanics.

• Provide portable cribs and safe sleep information to families in need.

• Promote the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale screening tool and referral protocol to pediatric, OB/GYN, and primary care providers who encounter post-partum women.

• Support activities to help at least one Hernando County hospital work towards becoming a Baby-Friendly hospital.

• Strengthen the Hernando County Breastfeeding Task Force by participating in its action plans.

• Strengthen the Hernando County Substance Exposed Newborn Task Force by participating in its action plans.

Please consider joining our Partnership and helping us to protect the lives of our babies!

For more information and questions contact:

Grace Gifford BSN, RN

Director of Nursing

Florida Department of Health in Hernando County

(352) 540-6800 ext 82165