Cigna Foundation Grant to Help Improve Health of Native American Moms and Babies Through Prenatal Care, Drug and Addiction Education and Recovery
BLOOMFIELD, Conn. & BILLINGS, Mont.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Cigna Foundation announced it will provide a $100,000 grant to the
St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation in Billings, Montana to help improve
the health outcomes of Native American women and babies through
increased access to early prenatal care, drug education and intervention
when needed. The grant addresses drug addiction that has reached into
Native American communities.1
“Addiction is a national crisis, and tribes are experiencing its impact
along with the rest of the country. St. Vincent’s is a mission-driven
health care facility dedicated to serving the Native American community,
and Cigna Foundation is helping us develop a sustainable maternity care
delivery model,” said Vicki Birkeland, St. Vincent Healthcare Director
of Women’s Services. “This is important work and we look forward to
seeing improved health outcomes for the moms and babies we serve.”
Previously, the Cigna Foundation provided grant funding to St. Vincent
Healthcare Foundation to support an American Indian Health Disparities
Coordinator who serves as a community health worker. St. Vincent’s chose
Kassie Runsabove, a Native American, for this role to work as an
advocate and cultural liaison, and to be responsible for implementing
projects to identify and reduce health disparities.
The new Cigna Foundation grant provides an additional year of funding to
help St. Vincent’s further its mission to improve the cultural
competency skills of maternal health care providers, and to work with
tribal community partners to provide prenatal education on healthy
nutrition, stress management, and other healthy lifestyle topics. The
St. Vincent’s program is expected to result in measurable outcomes,
including:
-
Earlier access to prenatal care with the goal of improving birth
weights -
Increased participation at prenatal clinics at St. Vincent
Healthcare’s Midwifery & Women’s Health Center, the midwifery clinic
on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, and at the health care
facilities of community partners including Indian Health Services (IHS) - Decreased numbers of NICU admissions
- Decreased numbers of babies born prematurely
- Increased participation in substance abuse recovery programs
“We are focused on improving health equity and are working with
organizations such as St. Vincent’s to eliminate disparities that create
barriers to health care,” said Mary Engvall, executive director of the
Cigna Foundation. “St. Vincent’s community health worker is integral to
effectively coordinating care between the rural reservations and an
urban hospital setting in a culturally sensitive manner, while building
a safe environment of trust for patients.”
For more information on the Cigna Foundation’s partnership with St.
Vincent’s, see the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-RT9qlLQCA&feature=youtu.be
About the Cigna Foundation
The Cigna Foundation, founded in 1962, is a private foundation funded by
contributions from Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) and its subsidiaries.
The Cigna Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to
enhancing the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of
their communities, with a special focus on those communities where Cigna
employees live and work.
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company
dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense
of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or
through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna
Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance
Company, Life Insurance Company of North America, Cigna Life Insurance
Company of New York, or their affiliates. Such products and services
include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental,
behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other
related products including group life, accident and disability
insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and
jurisdictions, and has more than 95 million customer relationships
throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including
links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.
For more information about Cigna’s proposed acquisition of Express
Scripts, please visit www.advancinghealthcare.com.
1 “Illicit Drug Use, Illicit Drug Use Disorders,
and Drug Overdose Deaths in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas —
United States,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, (MMWR), Surveillance
Summaries / October 20, 2017 / 66(19);1–12, The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention report
Contacts
Gloria Barone Rosanio
609-654-4316
gloria.baronerosanio@cigna.com
Angela Douglas
406-238-6204
angela.douglas@sclhealth.org
