Sunshine Health Supports March for Babies to Combat Premature Births

Employees Marching, Throwing Pies, to "Give Every Baby a Fighting Chance"

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Mar 23, 2018, 08:00 ET

SUNRISE, Fla., March 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunshine Health is once again teaming up with the March of Dimes to support March for Babies events throughout Florida to raise awareness of the importance of preventing premature births.

March for Babies raises money to treat infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), to fund programs that support mothers and families and to pay for research to prevent premature births.

"Approximately one out of every 10 babies born in Florida is born too soon – a rate that isn't improving," said Debra Smyers, Sunshine Health's Plan Product President and a board member of the Broward March of Dimes. "At the walks each year, our employees meet former March of Dimes babies who are growing and thriving and we know we are making a difference, but we've got to do more."

Sunshine Health is the presenting sponsor of the Broward March for Babies and also supports walks in Jacksonville, Orlando, Pensacola and Tampa.

"Sunshine Health employees flood our streets with smiles and passion on march days," said Guillermo Formoso, March of Dimes Broward Board Chair. "We can't thank them enough for their support."

Diana Loubeau understands the importance of the March of Dimes' work. Her daughter Jaden was born at 28 weeks and weighed just 13.5 ounces. She spent nearly eight months in the NICU at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. Now she's an 11-year-old sixth-grader and will be proudly marching with her mom on May 5 to help give preterm babies the chance to beat the odds like she did.

Sunshine Health hopes to top the 785 employees, families and friends who marched in 2017. Employees are also collecting pledges and hosting office fundraisers, like the "March of Pies" fundraiser where employees bid to throw a pie at – or spare – company executives.

"This may sound strange, but I'm looking forward to taking a pie in the face for this great cause," said Chris Paterson, Sunshine Health's CEO. "Our employees really come through, whether they're marching with a team or competing to see which department can raise the most money."

Join the cause by creating or joining a team at one of these events:

Pensacola: April 21 at Community Maritime Park
Tampa: April 28 at Amalie Arena
Sunrise/Broward: May 5 at Nova Southeastern University
Jacksonville: May 12 at Jacksonville University
Maitland/Orlando: May 19 at Lake Eola's East Lawn
Walk virtually: Participate on your own terms
Pick an event closer to your home: Walk for Babies event finder

About Sunshine Health
Headquartered in Sunrise, Fla., Sunshine Health is among the largest healthcare plans in Florida. Offering coordinated care and a network of support for its more than 900,000 members, Sunshine Health is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. Sunshine Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Sunshine Health offers government-sponsored managed care through Medicaid, Long Term Care, Medicare and Florida's Health Insurance Marketplace. Additionally, we offer a specialty Medicaid health plan for children in or adopted from Florida's Child Welfare system and a full pay Healthy Kids plan statewide. For more information about Sunshine Health, please visit www.SunshineHealth.com.

SOURCE Sunshine Health