New Haven Healthy Start

About New Haven Healthy Start

New Haven Healthy Start is a federally-funded program that works with local partners to improve birth outcomes and eliminate health disparities.

A close-up of a young child with curly hair, dark eyes, and small earrings, smiling softly against a plain white background.

Who We Are

NHHS is a federally-funded urban health initiative to reduce infant mortality and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. The program is part of a national network of 101 Healthy Start programs in 37 states and funded by the federal grant (H49MC00095) from the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Division of Perinatal Health Systems.

Two women sit on a couch smiling and interacting warmly with an infant in a white outfit. A banner in the background features a baby and the words “Healthy Start.” The setting appears to be a community or health center.

How We Work

New Haven Healthy Start strengthens the maternal and child health system for women and babies through its care-coordination partnership model.

Care coordinators are strategically located at New Haven Heathy Start partner sites where pregnant mothers are most likely to visit and make sure they are connected to all the services they need for successful births.

A group of women sit around a conference table with drinks, snacks, and handbags, attentively listening during a meeting in a boardroom setting.

Collaborating to improve the health of babies and families

Consortium Meetings

The NHHS Consortium provides a platform for the community to learn and understand conditions that impact family health. Community members are invited to participate in discussions and activities to improve conditions that impact families and the services they receive.

NHHS also hosts a Men’s Consortium as a support network for men & fathers in the Greater New Haven area.

A flyer titled Making Research Work for Your Community lists questions about surveys, evaluations, and research partnerships, with a checkbox next to each. Bottom text: A Guidebook to Successful Research Partnerships.

Best practices for community research

Research Partnerships

Since 2005, New Haven Healthy Start Executive Director Natasha Ray and physician researchers from the Yale Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program (YRWJFCSP) have partnered on a series of research projects to address maternal health issues in New Haven.

Their collaboration produced a guidebook for best practices in community partner research. The guide is intended to enhance the experiences of other community leaders (including other Healthy Start Programs) and university researchers who are working in collaborative relationships.

Support New Haven Healthy Start and its Mission

Rodney T. Moore

New Haven Healthy Start Fatherhood Coordinator

203-777-7085

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Natasha Ray, MS

New Haven Healthy Start Director

203-777-7087

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