Health Equity

Health equity is a key component needed by organizations to effectively provide services to pregnant/expectant mothers, infants, and their families. Health equity means giving everyone a just and fair opportunity to be healthy. This can only be achieved by addressing systemic obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and education.

YWCA leads the health equity initiatives of Cradle Kalamazoo by striving towards educating community members and creating policies that empower individuals, programs, and institutions to become more culturally competent. Our partners learn about the history and environment that have contributed to the high racial disparities in infant death. They are also encouraged to make changes within their institutions that can facilitate understanding, communication, and access to services for mothers, expectant women, and their families. By bridging the cultural norms of service providers and clients/patients, we as a community will help reduce infant deaths.

For more information please contact Komal Ravzi, Health Equity Program Manager, at krazvi@ywcakalamazoo.org

Best Baby Zone

Best Baby Zone works with local partners in defined neighborhoods or zones. It supports lead agencies reaching out to residents and local partners in the economic, education, community, and health sectors. These groups will work together to improve community conditions and reduce rates of low birth weight, prematurity, and infant mortality.

Cradle Kalamazoo

In January 2014, YWCA Kalamazoo created the Kalamazoo Infant Mortality Community Action Initiative, which has grown from an abstract idea to a large collaborative effort: Cradle Kalamazoo (Cradle). The Cradle collaborative encompasses a solid commitment from community partners, several healthcare institutions, key funding agencies, local academic institutions, multi-denominational faith-based organizations, and both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations: all engaged for the reduction of racial disparities of infant mortality rates in Kalamazoo. Although YWCA transferred the management of Cradle, the agency remains a vital partner in advancing the goal of reducing infant mortality disparities through strategic objectives that include health equity, community engagement, and home visitation programs.

For more information please contact Tami Rey, Community Engagement Program Coordinator,  at trey@ywcakalamazoo.org