HLS 12RS-1459 ENGROSSED
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Regular Session, 2012
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 84
BY REPRESENTATIVE KATRINA JACKSON
HEALTH: Urges and requests the Dept. of Health and Hospitals and the La. Hospital
Association to promote and encourage all hospitals and medical clinics that receive
state dollars to promote the "Text4baby" initiative
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals and the Louisiana Hospital2
Association to promote and encourage public hospitals, hospitals receiving state3
funding, and medical clinics to promote the Text4baby initiative in Louisiana.4
WHEREAS, Text4baby is a free health text messaging educational program started5
by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) which delivers timely6
health advice via text message to those who need it most; and7
WHEREAS, Text4baby is designed to help more pregnant women and new mothers8
increase their knowledge about caring for their health and providing their babies the best9
possible start in life; and10
WHEREAS, Text4baby is made possible by a unique collaboration of organizations11
in both the public and private sectors, including the founding partners HMHB, Voxiva,12
CTIA the Wireless Foundation, Grey Healthcare Group, and founding corporate sponsor13
Johnson & Johnson along with the United States government partners which include the14
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of Health and15
Human Services; and 16
WHEREAS, over eighty-five percent of Americans own a cellular phone and17
seventy-two percent of cellular phone users send or receive text messages; and18 HLS 12RS-1459 ENGROSSED
HCR NO. 84
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WHEREAS, Text4baby supports mothers by providing accurate, weekly, text-length1
health information and resources that are timed to a woman's due date or the baby's date of2
birth; and3
WHEREAS, pregnant women and new mothers who text "BABY", or "BEBE" for4
Spanish, to 511411 receive weekly text messages throughout their pregnancy and up until5
the baby's first birthday; and6
WHEREAS, the text messages provide information on a variety of topics critical to7
maternal and child health, including but not limited to developmental milestones,8
immunization, nutrition, mental health, and safety; and9
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that more10
than a half million babies in the United States or one in every eight births are premature each11
year; and12
WHEREAS, according to the CDC, premature birth is the most frequent cause of13
infant death, the leading cause of long-term neurological disabilities in children, and costs14
the United States health care system more than twenty-six billion dollars each year; and15
WHEREAS, a part of the Text4baby initiative is to help decrease the number of16
premature births, which can be caused by poor nutrition, excessive stress, and smoking; and17
WHEREAS, the health tips sent via Text4baby will include information on risk18
factors, consequences, and opportunities for preventing premature births; and 19
WHEREAS, Text4baby messages also connect women to health resources through20
the inclusion of national hotline telephone numbers within the messages.21
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby22
urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to promote and encourage public23
hospitals, hospitals receiving state funding, and medical clinics to promote the Text4baby24
initiative in Louisiana.25
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the26
secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals and the president and chief executive27
officer of the Louisiana Hospital Association.28 HLS 12RS-1459 ENGROSSED
HCR NO. 84
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DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Katrina Jackson HCR No. 84
Urges and requests the Dept. of Health and Hospitals and the La. Hospital Association to
promote and encourage public hospitals, hospitals receiving state funding, and medical
clinics to promote the Text4baby initiative in La.