Health digest 2/21/02

Hospital expands 'Building Blocks'

Southeast Missouri Hospital has been awarded an additional $160,000 in a federal grant to expand its Building Blocks program for maternal and early childhood health.

The additional funding will expand the hospital's home visitation program and allow up to 100 children to be enrolled. The program is offered free of charge to women with little or no income who are first-time mothers and are less than 28 weeks pregnant at the enrollment date.

The program is operated through the hospital's Home Health Care Services. Specially-trained nurses make home visits up until the time children are age 2.

Building Blocks is designed to give good health care to both mother and child, said Sheila Beussink, clinical supervisor for the Building Blocks program.