FIMR Program
In 2001, the Louisiana Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) program was formed to address Louisiana’s high infant mortality rate. FIMR is an anonymous review process of fetal (stillbirth) and infant deaths. A summary of these reviews are presented to the community in order to improve services and resources for women, infants and families and potentially reduce the occurrence of future deaths. The review process is anonymous and protected under HIPAA.
The FIMR Process
- A FIMR network is established in each of the 9 administrative regions of the state.
- The network involves 2 teams:
- Case Review Team (CRT) : Medical and Health care professionals volunteer to review local fetal and infant death cases and investigate needs, gaps, and opportunities to develop strategies to improve health.
- Community Action Team (CAT) : a broad based team of community members who hear recommendations from the CRT and work to prioritize needs, identify, coordinate and plan interventions promote to improve community health.
The Louisiana FIMR is sponsored by the Maternal and Child Health program of the Office of Public Health and is a key part of Louisiana’s Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative. It is modeled on the National FIMR initiative, which is supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
The program’s ultimate goals:
- Understanding the circumstances under which infant deaths occur.
- Engaging community leaders to take action to prevent future deaths.
