Spokane Regional Health District Launches Next Phase of its WIC Educational Campaign
Next phase of Growing Healthy Together site boasts new features,
real clients publicizing WIC openings, benefits
 
For more information, contact Kim Papich, SRHD public information officer at (509) 324-1539
 
SPOKANE, Wash. – Oct 10, 2013 – The federal government shutdown that threatens the funding of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program after Oct. 31, 2013 isn’t stopping Spokane Regional Health District’s WIC staff from doing their very best to meet the needs of current and future clients. Taking into account the unique nutritional needs of underserved pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, and their children under the age of five, the program is launching enhancements to its Growing Healthy Together web site at www.spokanewic.org. New features include:

• Online client education link
• WIC Corner Forums moderated by experts
  • Breastfeeding corner – moderated by our staff International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs)
  • Nutrition corner – moderated by our staff registered dietitians
• New resource pages for:
  • WIC clients
  • Community partners
  • Retailers
  • Medical professionals
  • Breastfeeding
  • Nutrition

Fundamental to providing WIC families with nutrition and breastfeeding education and support are in-depth health assessment appointments. WIC staff personalize nutrition education for each client during the appointment and set achievable goals to make positive health changes. Central to these changes is free healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and whole grains. The new online client education link on spokanewic.org is a breakthrough that allows some WIC clients to complete these nutrition education appointments online, a convenience that has not existed in Spokane's WIC program before.
 
And since WIC staff know that breastfeeding and nutrition questions do not just occur during the workday, they launched WIC Corner Forums for clients to pose their questions to staff IBCLCs and registered dietitians. There is also opportunity for sharing breastfeeding and nutrition failures and triumphs with other WIC moms.
 
The new Growing Healthy Together resource pages, built for WIC clients, community partners, retailers, medical professionals and breastfeeding women, offer an array of information, videos, links and more that inspire and spur active families. Highlights include tips for shopping at local farmers’ markets, a new Spokane area walking and hiking map, and access for retailers and medical professionals to interact and schedule inservices with WIC staff.
 
For this phase of its Growing Healthy Together campaign, SRHD again sought current clients locally to help tell the WIC story and to spread the word that WIC has openings. Three new families who have benefited from the nutrition and breastfeeding services offered by WIC participated in a special photo shoot and their images are displayed throughout the WIC web site and on new direct mail and bus advertisements.
 
“The goal of this initiative is two-fold, to enhance online what the WIC program can offer to current and future clients, and, to get the word out there, amidst so much uncertainty, that we do have openings and we continue to offer quality nutrition services,” said Tiffany Schamber, SRHD WIC program manager. “The latest numbers show us that 34 percent of local residents, who are on Medicaid and also qualify for WIC, are not enrolled—roughly 5,700 more people we could be serving.”
 
The following are other facts about WIC locally:

• Enrolling is WIC is simpler than ever with SRHD’s online enrollment feature: spokanewic.org/enroll
• WIC serves close to 25,000 women, infants and children in Spokane County; however isn’t just for moms and children. It’s for dads and other guardians who care for children under the age of 5 years, and pregnant and breastfeeding women too.
• WIC is both a successful and cost-effective program. Every dollar spent on WIC saves $4.21 in health care dollars later through the reducing the likelihood of preterm and low-weight births. And, WIC contributed close to $9.5 million in local grocery store sales, and over $28,000 spent at local farmers markets in 2012.
• WIC foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread and other whole-grain options. Also, infant cereal, iron-fortified adult cereal, baby foods, vitamin C-rich fruit or vegetable juice, soy-based beverages, tofu, eggs, milk, cheese, peanut butter, dried and canned beans/peas, and canned fish.

More information can be found as part of the FAQ on the Growing Healthy Together site, as well as at www.srhd.org. SRHD’s website offers comprehensive, updated information about Spokane Regional Health District and its triumphs in making Spokane a safer and healthier community.