Eastern Virginia Perinatal Council
Regional Perinatal Councils:
The Virginia Regional Perinatal Councils (RPCs) were formed in 1992 to provide support and coordination of perinatal health services, and to assess the needs of infants and women of reproductive age. The Eastern Virginia Perinatal Council, administered by EVMS, is the Region 5 Perinatal Council for the state of Virginia. In addition to administering the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Program (FIMR) program, Virginia Regional Perinatal Councils provide bereavement support, resource and referral information, and coordination and linkage of perinatal health services.
Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) program:
The FIMR program is a collaborative action-oriented community approach to improving services for childbearing families. Its purpose is to understand how a wide variety of social, economic, health, educational and safety issues relate to infant mortality on a local level. FIMR profiles deaths from twenty weeks gestation through the first year of life. This vital program also provides important benefits to bereaved families. The home interviewer can help facilitate the grieving process, as well as make appropriate referrals to support groups or counseling programs that may be needed.
Objectives:
- To examine the significant social, economic, safety, and health systems factors associated with fetal and infant mortality by reviewing individual cases
- To plan a series of interventions and policies that address these factors to improve the service delivery system and community resources
- To participate in the implementation of community based interventions and policies
- To assess the progress of the interventions