Dec. 22, 2002 – Desiree Charles is receiving special recognition and honor from the case management and outreach staff of the Virgin Islands Perinatal Partnership (VIPP) as their 200th client enrolled in VIPP.
Acknowledging Charles is important for two reasons. First, it is important for the community to be aware that VIPP is approaching its goal of enrolling 400 pregnant women in the program by May 2004. Second, Charles exemplifies the "early prenatal care" goal of the VIPP, because she entered into the program in the first trimester of her pregnancy and received personal care and attention from the VIPP's case managers and provider partners at the MCH clinic at Charles Harwood. A token of appreciation was awarded to Charles and to the staff, including a gift certificate from Terry's Children's Wear.
Charles is very pleased with the VIPP acknowledgement, and encourages other families who are expecting to consider the real importance of seeking early prenatal care, as well as being consistent with care provider visits. "Being high risk," she explained, "I wanted to make sure everything was OK for the baby and myself. I didn't know I was high risk until I went into the doctor and he told me I was hypertensive. I would encourage other mothers to do the same, because you just don't know."
Charles recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy. According to Barbara Lee Jackson, VIPP Project Director, "At 7 pounds, 2.1 ounces, we consider Charles' baby boy a perfect birth weight. She was very conscientious about her prenatal care, making all her visits, and following all the medical protocol for prenatal care."
The perinatal program is a community-based, community-driven project with these goals, said a release: increasing and heightening awareness among families expecting babies; encouraging both mothers and fathers to work together to give their baby a healthy start; encouraging pregnant women to seek prenatal care as soon as they learn that they are pregnant; and increasing to 75 percent the number of pregnant women who enter prenatal care in the first trimester. For more information about services, call 719-7286.
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