Amerigroup Foundation Awards Grant to Maryland DHMH Center for Maternal and Child Health

BALTIMORE, Feb. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amerigroup Foundation today announced that it has awarded a grant of $8,000 to the Maryland DHMH Center for Maternal and Child Health.

The award is part of the Amerigroup Foundation's program recognizing outstanding public advocacy efforts by government and community leaders to improve the health and well-being of children nationwide. The contribution will go toward improving access to prenatal care in Prince George's County and Baltimore City by helping to supply prenatal vitamins as an outreach incentive to register for prenatal care, benefiting approximately 4,700 women and infants.

"We're pleased to support a project that is consistent with the Foundation's goals of promoting community improvement, as well as encouraging safe and healthy children and families," said John E. Littel, Chairman of the Amerigroup Foundation. "The Maryland DHMH Center for Maternal and Child Health delivers terrific support for the community and, specifically, the well-being of children."

This initiative is part of a comprehensive strategy in these two jurisdictions to reduce infant mortality by 10 percent by 2012. Goal No. 14 of the Governor's Delivery Unit's 15 Strategic Policy Goals is to reduce the rate to 7.2 percent in the next two years, which would be the lowest rate in Maryland's history. To do this, the unit has set target interventions for women before, during and after pregnancy.

Last year, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley created the Delivery Unit to collaborate with state agencies in aligning state and federal resources around goals to improve the quality of life in the state.

About The Amerigroup Foundation

The Amerigroup Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Amerigroup Corporation, a multistate managed health care company based in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  The Foundation works to create healthy communities by fostering access to health care, encouraging safe and healthy children and families, and promoting community improvement and healthy neighborhoods. For more information about the Amerigroup Foundation, visit www.amerigroupcorp.com/Foundation. 

SOURCE Amerigroup