Choice Neighborhood Designated a "Best Babies Zone"
Members of the Westlawn Best Babies Zone (BBZ) coalition traveled to the national BBZ conference in Oakland, CA in January. BBZ is an innovative, multi-sector approach to reducing infant mortality and racial disparities in birth outcomes. Last fall, Westlawn was selected as one of nine communities across the nation to receive best practice technical assistance from the BBZ team to improve birth and health outcomes by mobilizing communities to address the social determinants that affect health. The Westlawn neighborhood was selected because of the strong alignment of BBZ strategies with the Milwaukee Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families and the Choice Neighborhood Initiative. Shown above (l to r), Cheri Pies of the University of California at Berkeley, who serves as principal investigator for the BBZ initiative; Mayor Tom Barrett; Natalie Harlan of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County; Tasha Jenkins of the Milwaukee Health Department; Marcia Blackman of the United Way; and Paul Williams of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee/CNI.
