Howard University Hospital Opens New Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Center for Military Families

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Howard University Hospital (HUH) today announced the opening of a new Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Family Center at the Joint Base Anacostia –Bolling (JBAB), located at 53 MacDill Boulevard (Building 53) SW, Washington, D.C. The new center will provide low income, military families with infants and children access to healthy foods, nutritional and educational counseling, breastfeeding support, health care and immunization resources, and community-based social services. The center is open from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

WIC is a Federal supplemental nutrition program that serves as a safeguard for low-income, pregnant and post-partum (breastfeeding) women, infants, and children (up to age 5) who have a nutritional or medical risk. Families participating in the program receive vouchers for healthy foods such as skim milk, eggs, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, wheat bread, cereal, infant foods and formula.

"Poverty and lack of health care access among military families are quite often overlooked with many families living well below the poverty line," says Davene White, director of the HUH CARES Public Health Program. "Howard University Hospital is proud to open a new WIC center at Joint Base Anacostia – Bolling, which will help eliminate barriers and provide local military families with valuable nutrition education and resources to address their dietary and health needs."

A WIC household of three typically earns an income of less than $37,000 annually, which is below the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines. To qualify, participants are required to meet income guidelines, show proof of state residency and be considered to have a "nutritional risk." WIC applicants are screened by healthcare professionals for dietary and medically-based risks such as anemia, low weight, smoking, maternal age, pregnancy complications, or poor pregnancy outcomes.

"Studies show that babies born prematurely or with low birth weight are at a higher risk of an early death," says White. "The HUH CARES WIC program is very effective at reducing these incidents by offering resources focused on helping women improve the quality of their diet; as well as staying abreast of childhood immunization standards, growth and development and increasing access to prenatal care much early in their pregnancy."

Today's announcement is part of Howard's ongoing commitment to eradicate social and healthcare disparities and improve the health equity of D.C.'s underserved populations. Funding for WIC vouchers are provided by each state and are administered at the local level by county and city health centers, or private organizations. The vouchers can be used at most grocery stores and military base commissaries.

For media inquiries contact: Tony Blue, [email protected].

SOURCE Howard University Hospital