May 19, 2023 — Healthcare Network has been awarded a $325,224 grant to implement a WIC Community Innovation and Outreach Project (WIC CIAO). WIC CIAO is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service and aims to support efforts to develop, implement and evaluate innovative outreach strategies to increase awareness, participation and benefit redemption in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and reduce disparities in program delivery.
In 2020, only 50 percent of all eligible individuals nationwide participated in WIC, equating to a shortfall of almost 6 million individuals. The WIC CIAO Project aims to change that by expanding partnerships with community organizations and using community-level data to develop and implement innovative WIC outreach efforts.
Healthcare Network was selected through a highly competitive grant process. Managed by the Healthcare Network Community Outreach Team (COT), the program will focus on reaching mothers who are eligible for WIC, aiding with the application process and finding innovative ways to break the barriers that keep mothers from applying to WIC. The grant will fund gift cards, diapers and transportation/taxi vouchers to help engage mothers.
The program is in collaboration with the Florida Department of Health which will provide management information system (MIS) administrative data to demonstrate the program’s effectiveness and the Florida Department of Health in Collier County which will provide training and education on WIC eligibility and enrollment requirements to the COT as well as approved outreach marketing materials.
“Too many women, infants and children in Florida are missing out on healthy foods, nutrition education, counseling and breastfeeding support they need to thrive,” said Jean Paul Roggiero, director of community relations for Healthcare Network. “We are proud to be part of this critical initiative to identify new ways of connecting people to WIC, ultimately improving health outcomes and quality of lives for underserved families.”
Reaching more families with WIC will have positive impacts on the community. WIC has been shown to provide wide-ranging benefits, including longer, safer pregnancies, with fewer premature births and infant deaths; improved dietary outcomes for infants and children; improved maternal health; and improved performance at school, among others. In addition to health benefits, WIC participants showed significant savings in health care costs when compared to non-participants.
In total, there are 36 WIC CIAO awardees made up of WIC state and local agencies, including tribal nations, and nonprofit entities and organizations.
WIC CIAO is administered through a USDA cooperative agreement with the Food Research & Action Center, in partnership with the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, the Native American Agriculture Fund, and UnidosUS. WIC CIAO is part of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service broader initiative to modernize WIC.
Visit hellowic.org to find out more about the WIC CIAO Project and awardees, and sign up for updates on WIC CIAO events and announcements.
About Healthcare Network
For more than 45 years, Healthcare Network has distinguished itself by providing primary health care to men, women and children of all ages, helping the disenfranchised, underinsured, and uninsured of our communities, as well as those with insurance and resources who recognize the quality and comprehensiveness of care available. The organization has grown from two small trailers in Immokalee to a network of providers located throughout Collier County. Primary healthcare services include family care, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, senior care, dental care and pharmacy as well as integrated and traditional behavioral health for both adults and children. Additionally, the organization’s community health workers bring health and social services directly to underserved families. For more information, visit www.HealthcareSWFL.org, or to schedule an appointment, please call 239-658-3000.
