Infant mortality agency in jeopardy

A state agency that has saved babies' lives, according to local health advocates, is on the chopping block in state Senate Republicans' budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year.

Under the proposed budget, the Governor's Office of Children's Care Coordination, launched by Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen in 2004, would be funded only through the end of December before it would have to be dismantled, state officials said.

Since 2007, the program has supported and coordinated the efforts of locally based organizations combating infant mortality, a critical problem in Tennessee and particularly in Hamilton County, local health officials said.

Across Hamilton County, more than $1 million in program funding is at stake, including the potential loss of $310,000 for programs at the local health department, officials said.

"This money funds evidence-based programs that have been shown to reduce infant mortality in other communities, as well as ours," said Tammy Burke, director of clinical services with the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department. "The most frustrating part (of the proposed cut) is we do anticipate the negative effects to our community's health as a whole."

Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, said the Governor's Office of Children's Care Coordination is being eyed for cuts because of its "high administrative costs" and because many of its programs are education-based, rather than direct-care oriented. It's one of several areas being considered for cuts, he said.

"We're having to deal with ... a whole slew of things we're trying to preserve in some capacity during a very tough budget year, without raising taxes on citizens," Sen. Watson said.

The Governor's Office of Children's Care Coordination receives $4.5 million in state funding annually, which is matched by federal funds for a total $9.5 million budget, said Bob Duncan, director of the office. The Senate budget proposal would provide half of the usual state funding amount to keep the office open through December, Mr. Duncan said.

The agency could possibly be reopened in the future, but employees and continuity of programming would have already been lost, Mr. Duncan said.

Among the infant mortality prevention programs locally that could be cut are:

* Healthy Ladies, Healthy Babies program, which provides case management for pregnant women at high risk for poor birth outcomes.

* Provision of prenatal vitamins to women who test positive for pregnancy at the health department.

* La Paz de Dios "Promotores de Salud" outreach program for Hispanic mothers.

* Centering Pregnancy program at the Dodson Avenue Health Center.

Proposals from the House of Representatives and the governor's office do not cut the Office of Children's Care Coordination, Mr. Duncan said.

The Senate Republicans' budget is one of many budget proposals under negotiation in the General Assembly, Sen. Watson said.

"Any budget we put out, I don't think anybody is going to like it," he said. "It's like someone cuts your hand off and you're like, 'Did you like that?' and you're like, 'No, but I like it better than my head being cut off.' ... Everybody's going to have pain somewhere."

Also among the programs that would be cut is an infant mortality prevention program in place at a number of clinical sites, including T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital in Chattanooga.

The program, which focuses on avoiding premature birth and other strategies to prevent low birth weight babies, could potentially save the state millions in avoided costs of caring for pre-term babies, Mr. Duncan said.

"Times are very tough and (legislators) have to make tough choices," he said. "What I'm trying to get across is: Let's think about the children, let's think about the babies and not hurt them with these cuts and at the same time, appeal to the fact that you're really saving dollars by these investments."

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