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Legislation Aims To Reduce Indiana's Rate Of Infant Mortality

David Herholz
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/dherholz/

The House unanimously passed legislation Tuesday it hopes will help reduce Indiana’s infant mortality rate, one of the worst in the country. 

It’s called the Safety PIN bill, standing for Protecting Indiana’s Newborns.  It creates a grant program, run by the State Department of Health, for organizations seeking to reduce the state’s infant mortality rate.  Evansville Republican Representative Holli Sullivan sponsored the bill, which she says is purposefully non-specific regarding what types of programs applicants must have.

“The wisdom behind House Bill 1004 is that it provides for maximum flexibility to allow grantees to find unique and innovative ways to reduce infant mortality while ensuring accountability in the form of outcomes-based funding.”

Sullivan says applicants must include a mortality rate reduction goal in their proposal…and much of the money is held back until they meet that goal.  House Republicans provided 13-point-five million dollars for the program in their proposed budget.  The bill now heads to the Senate.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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