LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Maternal Infant Services Network upon
the occasion of its designation as recipient of the 2009 Agency Excel-
lence Award by the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council of Orange County on
October 16, 2009

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
applaud the efforts of those organizations within the State of New York
which are dedicated to aiding the fight against alcoholism and drug
abuse; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Maternal Infant Services Network upon the occasion of its designation as
recipient of the 2009 Agency Excellence Award by the Alcoholism and Drug
Abuse Council of Orange County to be celebrated at its Annual Awards
Dinner on Friday, October 16, 2009, at The Fountains at Wallkill Golf
Club, Middletown, New York; and
WHEREAS, Maternal Infant Services Network (MISN) of Orange, Sullivan
and Ulster Counties, Inc. is a small agency with a big vision; its
mission is to ensure that women of childbearing age and their families
have access to the preventive and primary health care, social, nutri-
tional and education services needed for healthy pregnancies and chil-
dren; and
WHEREAS, Established 19 years ago through New York State Department of
Health grant funding, MISN was originally charged with reducing the
infant mortality rate in Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties; this task
was to be accomplished in three ways: building coalitions among health
and human service providers across the region who worked with women at
high risk of poor birth outcomes; providing high quality professional
education to health and human service providers who work with pregnant
women; and educating the members in the communities at large about risk
factors and behaviors that impact pregnancy and birth outcomes; and
WHEREAS, Today, as it approaches its 20th anniversary, MISN has
evolved into a complex agency that has forged meaningful partnerships
and coalitions with more than 100 community agencies and two perinatal
centers; and
WHEREAS, MISN extends its reach and maximizes its impact by organizing
Perinatal Consortia in Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties; it brings
together scores of agencies that address the continuum of perinatal
health care and ensure that all women in the region have access to
preconceptual, prenatal, postpartum and newborn care; and
WHEREAS, Since 1992, MISN has acted as the lead agency for MHLC whose
membership includes hospital and private practice Lactation Consultants,
WIC Breastfeeding Coordinators, Childbirth Educators, nurses, physi-
cians, LaLeche Leaders and certified Lactation Counselors; and
WHEREAS, Each year, MISN offers top notch training on cutting edge
topics that is affordable and accessible to providers who are aware of
the latest evidence-based practices in maternal and child health care
essential to improving community health; and
WHEREAS, MISN is available and ready to provide agencies with statis-
tics, health educational material, videos and speakers for community
health fairs and events; its professional staff readily provides consum-
er education and presentations county-wide; and
WHEREAS, In regard to Teen Pregnancy Prevention, MISN works through
schools and with after school programs to provide age appropriate
programming that helps teens and adolescents delay sexual relations and
postpone pregnancy; and

WHEREAS, As of April 30, 2008, MISN has enrolled over 41,000 people
into Family and Child Health Plus; its staff enrolls people in five
counties, working closely with the Departments of Social Services in
those five counties to advocate for access to health resources; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when organiza-
tions of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Maternal Infant Services Network upon the occasion of its desig-
nation as recipient of the 2009 Agency Excellence Award by the Alcohol-
ism and Drug Abuse Council of Orange County on October 16, 2009; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Maternal Infant Services Network.