The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing recently received a $200,000 grant from the Texas Department of State Health Services to develop and enhance a local coalition to reduce pre-term birth and infant mortality in Lubbock County.

Linda Brice, Ph.D., R.N., associate professor in the School of Nursing, will be the project’s principal investigator. The project will involve many community organizations including the March of Dimes, the Larry Combest Community Health and Wellness Center, Teen Parents of Lubbock, the Texas Department of State Health Services Region 1, the Garrison Institute on Aging, the City of Lubbock Health Department, UMC Health System, the United Way and other supporting community organizations.

The goal of the coalition will be to decrease the region’s high rate of pre-term births, low birth weight babies, infant mortality, teen pregnancy, weight gain of less than 15 pounds during pregnancy, smoking during pregnancy, lack of father’s involvement and lack of good prenatal care.

Brice is currently involved with similar efforts like the School of Nursing’s annual Stork’s Nest Baby Shower and Teen Straight Talk, a free program aimed at opening the lines of communication between tweens, teens and their parents about topics like sex, teen pregnancy, bullying and self-esteem.

For more information about these programs or about the grant, contact Brice at (806) 241-3652 or email linda.brice@ttuhsc.edu.

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