Philadelphia Text4baby Campaign Launch

Posted by on May 03, 2010

WHAT:    Press Conference to Launch Philadelphia Text4baby Campaign
WHEN:        Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 2:00-2:30 pm
WHERE:    Please Touch Museum – Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park
4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA 19131, (215) 581-3181

The Maternity Care Coalition, the Pennsylvania affiliate of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies (HMHB) with a number of national, state and local partners is hosting a press conference to launch the Philadelphia Text4baby Campaign on Wednesday, May 5th from 2-2:30 pm at Please Touch Museum. Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Donald F. Schwarz will be speaking at the event, along with Arlene Remick from the national HMHB Coalition and Loraine Ballard Morrill from local media partner Clear Channel Communications. Pregnant women and new mothers who participate in the program will talk about the benefits of text4baby.

Representatives from the 18 organizations, who have already signed on as outreach partners will also be on hand throughout the day to help women register for text4baby.  It will also be an opportunity for new groups to sign on to the public/private partnership that will promote text4baby in the Philadelphia media market during an initial yearlong campaign, which kicks-off just in time for Mother’s Day.

Text4baby is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health. An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with information to help them care for their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. Women who sign up for the service by texting BABY to 511411 (or BEBE in Spanish) will receive free SMS text messages each week, timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth.
Text4baby is made possible through a broad, public-private partnership that includes government, corporations, academic institutions, professional associations, tribal agencies and non-profit organizations. Founding partners include HMHB, Voxiva, CTIA – The Wireless Foundation and Grey Healthcare Group (a WPP company). Johnson & Johnson is the founding sponsor, and premier sponsors include WellPoint, Pfizer and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. U.S. government partners include the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense Military Health System. Voxiva provides the mobile health platform and participating wireless service providers generously provide free messaging services. Implementation partners include BabyCenter, Danya International, Syniverse Technologies, Keynote Systems and The George Washington University.  MTV Networks is a media sponsor.

Philadelphia Text4baby Outreach Partners to date include:  American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Nurse Midwives, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Clear Channel, Delaware Valley Healthcare Council, Health Federation of Philadelphia, March of Dimes, Maternity Care Coalition, AmeriChoice Corporation, AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan, CIGNA Health Corporation, Independence Blue Cross, Keystone Mercy Health Plan, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pennsylvania Perinatal Partnership, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Please Touch Museum, Public Health Management Corporation, Public Citizens for Children and Youth, Radio One, Vanguard Health Systems, United Way of SE Pennsylvania and North Inc. – WIC . Additional partners will be added.

Media Contact:  Cathy Melfi, Communications Director, Maternity Care Coalition: 609-923-5413.