“Alliteration for public health: Importance of public-private partnerships for policy and prevention of preterm birth” APHA 2007 Janis Biermann, Bonnie Petrauskas, Ruth Ann Shepherd, Karla Damus and Emil Wigode

But instead, for many, this vision is taken away in the often overwhelming, frightening and confusing environment of the NICU….a place many parents have never heard of, seen, or imagined, until they first enter through those doors...

Rate of Prematurity Campaign Launch Percentage of all live births, less than 37 completed weeks gestation. Source: National Center for Health Statistics 2006 Figure Preliminary

Prematurity Campaign Goals: 1. Reduce the rate of premature birth from 12.1% in 2002 to 7.6% in 2010, in accordance with the U.S. Public Health Service Healthy People 2010 objective. 2. Raise awareness of the problems of prematurity: to 60% for women of childbearing age and 50% for the general public by 2010.

Medical Partners American Academy of Pediatrics American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses

Funding Partners

Public-Private Alliances AMCHP NRHA APHA NWIC ASTHO PfP CityMatCH and 31 other organizations NAPHHS NBDPN NHSA

Aims 1. Generate concern and action around the problem of prematurity. 2. Educate women of childbearing age about risk reduction and warning signs of preterm birth. There are six aims of the campaign (read slide).

Aims 3. Provide affected families with information, emotional support, and opportunities to help other families. 4. Assist health care practitioners to improve prematurity risk detection and address risk-associated factors.

Aims 5. Encourage investment of more public and private research dollars to identify causes of preterm labor and prematurity, and to identify and test promising interventions. 6. Advocate to expand access to health coverage in order to improve maternity care and infant health outcomes. There are six aims of the campaign (read slide).

PREEMIE Act Public Law 109-450 The history of success at the March of Dimes – polio, folic acid -- shows the importance of public-private partnership. With the prematurity campaign, we understood from the outset, that a coordinated and increased federal role was imperative to successfully find the answers to preterm birth. The PREEMIE Act was designed to achieve this, while at the same time recognizing the current political climate/realities of many competing priorities and limited funding available. Because of those political realities our advocacy messages highlighted the fact that MOD (and our partners) was spending millions on this problem – not looking for the government to take it on alone --, prematurity affected 1 in 8 babies and it costs the government (through Medicaid, etc) and employers billions of dollars. Let me quickly review the key elements of PREEMIE …

PREEMIE Act Provisions Expand research into prematurity; Authorize demonstration projects to test promising prevention and treatment interventions; Increase coordination and collaboration among federal agencies; and Convene a Surgeon General’s conference on preterm birth to establish a public-private agenda that will speed the development of prevention strategies for preterm labor and delivery. Authorizes the increased research on preterm birth at CDC Authorizes demonstration projects to test prevention and treatment interventions. The bottom line is that as additional research is conducted on the causes of preterm labor and delivery, such as these will facilitate the implementation of this research in real world settings. Additionally, these demonstration projects will help focus and enhance current federal programs on the growing public health crisis of prematurity. Increased coordination and collaboration among federal agencies through an Interagency Coordinating Council on Prematurity and Low Birthweight. Bringing all the agencies within the government who have an interest in preterm birth together will lead to better collaboration Finally PREEMIE mandates a SG Conference and report on preterm birth. Our idea was/is to have an agenda for research and education that both the public sector (federal agencies) and private orgs have come up with and agree on. That way MOD can leverage our resources to supplement what NIH is doing or vice versa. This conference is expected to take place in the April-June 2008 timeframe.

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait A prematurity prevention partnership of the March of Dimes, Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, LLC and the Kentucky Department for Public Health The primary goal is to demonstrate a 15% reduction in singleton preterm births.

Benefits of Public-Private Partnerships Win-win for all parties Increased synergies “ added value” New insights/perspectives Partnerships bring “ economy of scale” With sharing of both responsibility and finding requirements Increased credibility More resources and expanded audience Enhanced implementation Increased dissemination of information

Practical steps for developing Partnerships Involve the major stakeholders Recruit multiple and diverse partners Make clear roles and responsibilities Share leadership Share the glory and the gory Ensure that all partners are getting the benefits they expected Communicate often and openly

Thank You Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute Kentucky Department for Public Health For More Info: jbiermann@marchofdimes.com