Baby love. Fort Worth system expands access to prenatal care to save infants. Interview by Terese Hudson.
Too many babies were dying in Fort Worth, TX, in the late 1980's. In fact, at the time, the city had the highest infant mortality rate of any of the major cities in Texas and one of the highest in the nation. These statistics spurred Fort Worth's Harris Methodist Health System to take action: As part of a communitywide program, the system was instrumental in setting up the first of five clinics now operating in the area. The system also played a large role in starting up a transportation service for women receiving prenatal care. Those efforts paid off: Fort Worth's infant mortality rate dropped from 13.7 per 1,000 live births in 1989 to 9.2 in 1992. Harris Methodist was a finalist in the AHA's NOVA awards for collaboration.