The Magnolia Project is a federal Healthy Start initiative that takes place in Jacksonville County and Duval County, Florida. The program targets African-American women ages 15-44 that exhibit risk factors associated with poor birth outcomes (history of substance abuse, previous poor birth outcome, lack of health care, etc.). Intervention strategies include: (1) providing women with outreach, education and support, (2) increasing care coordination to at-risk women, (3) providing health education directed at specific risk factors, (4) increasing the accessibility and availability of well-women health care.

The Magnolia Project utilizes an empowerment model focused on resiliency to promote improved health and well-being. The program offers case management services, health education, well-woman and prenatal care, family planning, STD treatment, primary care, free pregnancy tests, and community outreach activities.

This project is funded by a grant from the federal Healthy Start Program, third party reimbursements, and community grants.

The Magnolia Project's mission is to improve the health and well-being of women during their childbearing years by empowering communities to address medical, behavioral, cultural and social service needs.

In 2007, Magnolia Project provided well-woman and prenatal care services to over 700 women. One hundred and sixty women received intensive case management and the outreach team hosted 305 outreach activities.

A mixed methods evaluation revealed that the program had positive effects on birth outcomes and repeated STD rates. Women who received case management services had significantly lower repeat STD rates (10.8%) than did women in a comparison group (12.9%), (P = 0.05). In addition, case management clients experienced a marginally significant decrease in low birth weight (11%), than did the comparison group (3%), (P = 0.066). The infant mortality rate reduced from 81.3 to 35.7 for case management clients, while the comparison group experienced an increase from 27.2 to 37.5. However, these mortality rate differences were not statistically significant given the small number of births.