San Antonio’s Metro Health lands major funding for Healthy Start program

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San Antonio Metropolitan Health District officials have secured $9.7 million from the feds to reduce the high number of infant mortality rates in the country.

W. Scott Bailey

Reporter/Project Coordinator- San Antonio Business Journal

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The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District's Healthy Start program has secured nearly $10 million in new funding support.

U.S. Health and Human Services has awarded a $9.7 million grant to Metro Health for the program. The funding will be used to help reduce high infant mortality rates and to address related health issues.

Metro Health is one of only 15 organizations in the U.S. that has been awarded this level of funding.

The average rate of mortality for children under the age of 1 in the U.S. was 6 infant deaths per 1,000 births, according to the most recent data available from the An Anne E. Casey Foundation Kids Count report for 2011.

The rate of mortality for San Antonio was 5.1 infant deaths per 1,000 births, according to the report.

In Austin, for example, the rate was 4.4 infant deaths per 1,000 births.

San Antonio's Metro Health is working with March of Dimes on a collaborative effort to improve the health of babies in the region.

W. Scott Bailey covers health care, tourism, sports business, economic development; he also plans and edits some special reports.