Transforming Communities: Best Babies Zone Initiative
Cheri A. Pies is one of the pioneers in understanding social determinants of health and has worked to address the ways in which social and economic disparities and inequities influence birth outcomes and generational health across the life course.
In this podcast episode we discuss one of her projects, a three-year grant from the Kellogg Foundation to fund the Best Babies Zone (BBZ) Initiative. This three-year multi-site, collaborative project was designed to improve birth outcomes, reduce infant mortality and address issues of overall community health in three “incubator” communities around the country – Cincinnati OH, New Orleans LA, and Oakland CA.
Read more about how the Best Baby Zone program reduces racial inequalities in infant mortality: Berkeley Public Health’s Best Babies Zone Program Reduces Racial Inequalities in Infant Mortality