Leader Russo Announces Approval of $75K for Policy Analysis of Infant Mortality Pathways Community HUB Project

COLUMBUS - House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) this week announced that the Ohio Commission on Minority Health has approved funding for a policy analysis of infant mortality at The Ohio State University. These funds were passed as part of the state operating budget for FY2024.

The Pathways Community HUB Institute (PCHI) Model provides a framework for community-based care coordination that identifies individuals with modifiable risk factors – medical, social, and behavioral – and connects them to services and tracks outcomes. Using this model, resources and networks are developed locally according to specific community needs.

“There are widening disparities in infant mortality rates, “said Leader Russo. “These inequities require us to address both social and health factors using evidence-based approaches. By implementing a thorough policy analysis, we can identify the changes needed to close this disparity gap and protect Ohio’s families.”

In 2021, Ohio ranked 8th nationally in infant mortality rates. This crisis has disproportionately impacted Black women and children, with Black infants being nearly three times more likely to die before their first birthday when compared to white infants. These racial inequities have been attributed to premature births, and although overall infant mortality has slowly declined since 2016, the disparity gap has widened.