From: Elizabeth Stark [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2013 8:30 AM Subject: Baby's First Test Continues to Fuel Innovative Programs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 7, 2013 Contact: Elizabeth Stark, MS, CGC 202-966-5557 x207 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Baby's First Test Continues to Fuel Innovative Programs Announces 2013 Challenge Award Recipients WASHINGTON, DC - March 7, 2013 - Baby's First Test, a Genetic Alliance project, is pleased to announce partnerships with five institutions that will carry out innovative projects increasing awareness of newborn screening or implementing novel solutions to challenges in the newborn screening system. Each project will receive funding of up to $20,000. This is the third year that Baby's First Testtm has supported innovative projects at the local, state, and national level. As the nation's educational resource center on newborn screening for parents and health professionals, Baby's First Test created the Challenge Award program to allow individuals and organizations to address gaps or improve the newborn screening process at either the community or national level. The projects selected reflect the diversity of the newborn screening community and aim to target a broader cross-section of the population through various medias rather than traditional website engagement. The cornerstones of the selected projects included the scalability of the activities, sustainability, and the novel exploration of the stated problem. This year's awardees are as follows: Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center- Evaluate an educational intervention utilizing video versus the standard brochure for new parents from lower socio-economic levels. Children's Health Improvement Partnership of the New River Valley- Evaluate the impact of incorporating newborn screening information into an existing home visiting program targeting underserves populations. Children's National Medical Center- Translate the Heart Smart video series and Toolkit into five additional languages to inform parents about the importance of pulse-oximetry as a part of newborn screening. Le Bonheur Children's Hospital- Target NICU nurses with educational interventions about newborn screening. Michigan Department of Community Health- Increase understanding of barriers experienced by midwives and create targeted educational materials to help alleviate these barriers. Pat Blake, from the University of Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory, shared her experience from last year: "As a 2012 recipient of the Baby's First Test Challenge Award, we expected to complete and promote a video to update hospital staff about blood-spot collections and the role of public health laboratories in newborn screening, which we did. What we did not expect, however, were the long-term benefits from the association with Baby's First Test and this award." "While the original video was still in production, the project mushroomed. We added addition features, attracted local, state and national media, including television coverage, blog posts and newspaper articles. This year, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of newborn screening in America. Thanks to our association with Baby's First Test and the Challenge Award, we are well prepared to share the stories of newborn screening and how the Iowa program exemplifies our motto of 'Putting Babies First.'" To read about the past Challenge Award recipients and see more on current awardees, please visit http://www.BabysFirstTest.org/newborn-screening/challenge-awards<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://listserv.galists.org/t/691336/428560/2362/0/&k=7DHVT22D9IhC0F3WohFMBA%3D%3D%0A&r=QD0MALm7li4xmB3DnzvTKy2CVOWeUGJzsljAyiiNZhA%3D%0A&m=EtswjUZYvbsZEtf8IDWzLb9sJxZLUifkLiRIiCIVjdE%3D%0A&s=ceaa1e4e3ec8a39c8a1badabe5af6cd372018a9eb7aa47220a4257f24b5bb600>. About Baby's First Test Baby's First Test is the nation's educational resource center for newborn screening. It informs and empowers families and healthcare providers throughout the newborn screening experience. By increasing awareness, Baby's First Test offers millions of newborns and their families a chance at a healthy start. The newborn screening clearinghouse housed on Baby's First Test is funded in part by a grant to Genetic Alliance from the Health Resource and Service Administration (HRSA), Grant no. U36MC16509, Quality Assessment of the Newborn Screening System. To learn more visit http://www.BabysFirstTest.org<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://listserv.galists.org/t/691336/428560/1813/0/&k=7DHVT22D9IhC0F3WohFMBA%3D%3D%0A&r=QD0MALm7li4xmB3DnzvTKy2CVOWeUGJzsljAyiiNZhA%3D%0A&m=EtswjUZYvbsZEtf8IDWzLb9sJxZLUifkLiRIiCIVjdE%3D%0A&s=cf389d95704075cca90b8ee8886193aba0194621069bc7ef83e4be96a92cd196> About Genetic Alliance Genetic Alliance improves health through the authentic engagement of individuals, families, and communities. Genetic Alliance is the world's leading nonprofit health advocacy organization committed to transforming health through genetics and works to connect consumers to the smart services they need to make informed decisions about their health and healthcare. Genetic Alliance's network includes more than 1,000 disease-specific advocacy organizations, as well as thousands of universities, private companies, government agencies, and public policy organizations. For more information about Genetic Alliance, visit http://www.geneticalliance.org<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://listserv.galists.org/t/691336/428560/15/0/&k=7DHVT22D9IhC0F3WohFMBA%3D%3D%0A&r=QD0MALm7li4xmB3DnzvTKy2CVOWeUGJzsljAyiiNZhA%3D%0A&m=EtswjUZYvbsZEtf8IDWzLb9sJxZLUifkLiRIiCIVjdE%3D%0A&s=d9b6a5bd3899185f00f4a7ee5f5fa3ca6a52eb72b6e014b72338dde64a554f18>. ###