The Department of Health’s Virgin Islands Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) and Maternal Child Health & Children with Special Health Care Needs Programs are proud to announce their 2017 Graduates:
1. Kimberly Thomas/Malik Francis
2. Tynesha Jean/Z’nariah Thomas
3. Kenilla Pascal/Denae Cline
4. Tamika Charles/Adrion Charles
These individuals participated in the NFP, in which mother and baby received home care visits from prenatal through the baby’s second birthday. We are celebrating their commitment to incorporating and sustaining healthy habits that benefit them and their child. The Department of Health’s annual graduation will be held on Friday, June 9, 2017 at the Windward Passage from 11:00am – 3:00pm. We invite the media and public to the graduation and share in our celebration and show of support to these families.
UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
_________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2017
DOH Celebrates New Graduates of the Nurse-Family Partnership
Program Graduation to be Held on Friday, June 9, 2017
The Department of Health’s Virgin Islands Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) and Maternal Child Health & Children with Special Health Care Needs Programs are proud to announce their 2017 Graduates:
1. Kimberly Thomas/Malik Francis
2. Tynesha Jean/Z’nariah Thomas
3. Kenilla Pascal/Denae Cline
4. Tamika Charles/Adrion Charles
These individuals participated in the NFP, in which mother and baby received home care visits from prenatal through the baby’s second birthday. We are celebrating their commitment to incorporating and sustaining healthy habits that benefit them and their child. The Department of Health’s annual graduation will be held on Friday, June 9, 2017 at the Windward Passage from 11:00am – 3:00pm. We invite the media and public to the graduation and share in our celebration and show of support to these families.
The NFP program helps improve the lives of vulnerable first-time mothers and their babies, through ongoing home visits from registered nurses. This evidence-based, community health program has proven results including long-term family improvements in health, education, and economic self-sufficiency. The nurses who visit first time mothers focus on buildin
g therapeutic relationships with new mothers and supporting them with education, goal setting, positive behavior change, nursing screening and assessments, attentive parenting (i.e. reading to the child), as well as case management activities. Since the establishment of NFP in 2012, 88 families in the USVI have been served-as of June 2017. Outcomes achieved among families participating in the NFP program in the Virgin Islands include:
1. 100% of the babies received all immunization by 24 months of age
2. 92% of the mothers initiated breast-feeding
3. 90% of the babies were born full term
Nurse-Family Partnership Goals (nursefamilypartnership.org):
1. Improve pregnancy outcomes by helping women engage in good preventive health practices, including thorough prenatal care from their healthcare providers, improving their diets and reducing their use of cigarettes, alcohol and illegal substances.
2. Improve child health and development by helping parents provide responsible and competent care.
3. Improve the economic self-sufficiency of the family by helping parents develop a vision for their own future, plan future pregnancies, continue their education and find work.
###
