April Newsletter

Birth Center Campaign Update
Mother’s Day Groundbreaking
PeaceHealth is within reach of meeting its two conditions for building the new Birth Center in time for a Mother’s Day groundbreaking. The conditions are completion of fundraising and sale of the current building.

• More than 87% of the $750,000 fundraising goal has been reached.

• The current building is listed and enjoys interest.
  

When recently contacted by Lane County Friends of the Birth Center (LaneCoFBC), Mr. Mel Pyne, CEO of PeaceHealth’s Oregon Region, concurred that a Mother’s Day groundbreaking looks promising. Members of the LaneCoFBC steering committee will meet with Mr. Pyne on Friday, April 10th. Stay tuned.

WineStyles Birth Center Benefit
PeaceHealth’s Foundation hosted two successful benefit receptions for the Birth Center in March. Birth Center families, friends and supporters especially enjoyed seeing the midwives and staff in attendance. Many thanks to the Foundation’s Rueben Mayes, Matt Favreault and Linda Starr!

Outreach
Do you know community leaders with whom Lane County Friends of the Birth Center should be in touch? Please contact lanecofbc@gmail.com with suggested introductions.

Because local leaders having varying degrees of familiarity with the Birth Center, LaneCoFBC seeks to have them understand the Birth Center’s key public health role as a cost effective, evidence-based and accessible model for care. In addition to offering a much-in demand form of maternity care, its services are critical to Lane County’s ongoing efforts to lower the local infant mortality rate – above the national average and Oregon’s highest.

Recent Blog Entries

• CDC releases staggering 31.8% c-section statistic

• Birth Center helps families gracefully clear hurdles to breastfeeding

• April is cesarean awareness month
  

Local Events & Good News
Breastfeeding Presentation: Encouraging Words are Not Enough
Sunday, April 19 from 2 to 4pm
If you read The Atlantic Monthly’s recent piece “The Case Against Breastfeeding,” you won’t want to miss this advance preview of a presentation for the upcoming 2009 Healthy Start Statewide Training conferences. Join Lane County Friends of the Birth Center to learn about and discuss the following breastfeeding-related issues:

• Preventable problems influencing earlier-than-planned weaning
• Contributing factors and potential solutions
• CDC recommendations for evidence based breastfeeding care
• Baby Friendly, a gold-standard designation from UNICEF and the World Health Organization
• How the Birth Center’s Baby Friendly practices effectively support women
  

Presenters:
Debbie Jensen, RNC, IBCLC
Desiree Nelson, RN, IBCLC.

Sacred Heart at RiverBend, Conference Room C/D
From the main hospital lobby, take stairs up to the second floor; go left at stairs, then left along the balcony. Conference Room C/D is at end of this hall.

Follow up questions:
Desiree at desiree.ann.nelson@gmail.com

Lane County’s First Annual Healthy Babies Award
The Public Health Department’s Healthy Babies, Healthy Communities Initiative has established the Healthy Babies Award. This award will be given annually to recognize efforts in Lane County that help reduce fetal-infant mortality and increase infant health in our community. Any agency, organization, medical professional or individual from Lane County is eligible. Nominations are due no later than April 17, 2009. Click here for nomination information, including access to the form. 


Oregon Breastfeeding Coalition
Announcing the launch of the Breastfeeding Coalition of Oregon website: www.breastfeedingOR.org

African Birth Collective’s Red Tent Event
April 19 from 10am to 5pm
EWEB Conference Room, 500 E. 4th Avenue

Suggested donation: $10 to 15

• Silent Auction. Gift Certificates and artwork for local artists
• Slideshow about African Birth Collective’s work in Africa
• Red Tent Story Sharing of birth and transformation to be documented for the BOLDACTION.ORG oral history library
  

You are also invited to donate any of the following items for "Mama Baby Packs" going to clinics in Senegal:

Onesies
Receiving blankets
Toothbrushes
Soap
Socks
Hats

Follow up questions:
Kaya Skye at 541.951.9995


Support the Birth Center:
Watch the Birth Center Tribute video - more than 500 people have viewed it online so far!

Join the more than 850 people who have signed our online petition

Make a contribution to the Birth Center campaign

Find us on Facebook

Join our email distribution list – send an email to lanecofbc@gmail.com

Thank you!