MSM and Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Partner to Help Youth Reach their Full Potential
May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month.
ATLANTA - May 13, 2021 – The Health Promotion Resource Center at Morehouse School of Medicine and long-time partner Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Ga., are dedicated to preventing teen pregnancy and improving health outcomes for youth, and have done this work for nearly 30 years. The organizations work together within the Statewide Network Among Partners for Parents/Caregivers (SNAPP), a three-year innovation and impact strategy to explore, develop, and disseminate effective parenting and caregiver interventions that help reduce teen pregnancy, STIs, and related risks in Georgia.
“Children are our future, and the leadership at Phoebe has shown an outstanding commitment over the years to making that future a bright one for the children of southwest Georgia,” said Angie Barber, director, Phoebe Network of Trust School Health Program.
Despite notable progress in helping teens reach their full potential, there are continued and pervasive disparities in teen pregnancy and birth by race, ethnicity, and in the most vulnerable populations—including youth who are homeless, living in foster care, or involved with the juvenile justice system—compared to the general population. National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, recognized during May, and programs such as SNAPP strive to do more than prevent teen pregnancy. The initiatives work to ensure positive outcomes for adolescents, and help youth acquire the knowledge and skills to become healthy and productive adults.
The Network of Trust School Health Program is an in-school, interactive outreach program designed to young people throughout the community. The initiative strives to:
- Promote healthy moms and babies
- Decrease repeat pregnancies
- Eliminate child abuse
- Increase self-esteem
- Boost school attendance
- Prevent school dropout
The Network of Trust School Health Program offers prenatal, parenting, and teen health education, as well as a program designed to build self-esteem in pregnant teens in Calhoun, Dougherty, Lee, and Terrell and Worth counties.
Mark Miller, strategy data analyst for Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, reports that since 1995, Dougherty County has seen a 70 percent reduction in teen pregnancy ages 15 to 17, driven by a 70 percent reduction among Black girls in the last 25 years.
Connecting youth to services and opportunities that will help them maximize their strengths can help prevent teen pregnancy. The Office of Population Affairs Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program assists grantees in implementing programs that focus on developing positive outcomes for adolescents, including supporting positive youth development, preventing sexually transmitted infections, building healthy relationships, and more. For more information, please contact Victoria Broussard, program manager, Morehouse School of Medicine at vbroussard@msm.edu or 404-756-5278.
About Morehouse School of Medicine
Founded in 1975, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is among the nation’s leading educators of primary care physicians, biomedical scientists, and public health professionals. An independent and private historically-Black medical school, MSM was recognized by the Annals of Internal Medicine as the nation’s number one medical school in fulfilling a social mission—the creation and advancement of health equity. MSM faculty and alumni are noted for excellence in teaching, research, and public policy, as well as exceptional patient care. MSM is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctoral and master’s degrees.
Contact
Nicole Linton
404-756-5238
nlinton@msm.edu