The Southeastern Massachusetts Area Health Education Center (SMAHEC), in conjunction with Bristol Community College (BCC) and Charlton Memorial Hospital (CMH) propose to develop a Certified Perinatal Specialist Training program. The goal of the program is to reduce the infant mortality rate in Southeastern Massachusetts particularly its poor minority, disadvantaged and underserved population through increasing the awareness, knowledge skill and practice of perinatal care among its region's health professionals. To achieve this goal a Comprehensive Perinatal Training Initiative would be implemented consisting of the following three components: the development and implementation of a 60 hour Certified Perinatal Specialist Training Program; a Perinatal Resource Center; and a forum comprised or representatives from the Southeastern Massachusetts hospitals, educational institutions and community agencies that would identify long-term strategies addressing the shortage of perinatal health care providers.
