Nancy Kay Sullivan; working for WIC in Mississippi - Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children

Food and Nutrition, Jan, 1986 by Diana Swindel

In Mississippi, Nancy Kay Sullivan, director of public relations for the Mississippi Department of Health, heads up information activities for the state's WIC program. Sullivan, along with one part-time and six full-time assistants, plays an integral role in getting food help and health care to mothers and children who need it.

WIC, which stands for the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children, provides supplemental foods and nutrition education to low-income pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are determined to be at risk because of nutrition-related health problems or inadequate diet.

WIC is just one of the 28 programs for which Sullivan has public relations responsibility. "All of our programs are equally important to us," she says, "but WIC is one of my favorites."

Like most government managers today, Sullivan has to work with limited resources. "There is too little time, staff, and money to accomplish everything I'd like to," she says.

But, according to John Barr, WIC director for the Bureau of Personal Health Services, Sullivan accomplishes plenty for WIC. "She is one of a kind," he says. "We're lucky to have her."

Work closely

with local staff

Sullivan and her staff pride themselves on the strong link that exists between the state office, the 9 district offices, and the 82 county health departments. The cooperation and support of the district and county staff, Sullivan says, is crucial.

"Because of the strength of these relationships," she says, "information flows very smoothly within the state. Over the past 6 years, we have developed a standard public relations policy that all local agencies use. When we have a message that needs to get down to the people, we are certain that the entire state will be blanketed with that same message."

Hurricane Elena proved just how well coordinated state and local efforts are. Fast and efficient teamwork enabled the health department to get information out quickly to people affected by the storm. For WIC, the situation was complicated by damage to WIC food supplies stored in county warehouses.

"More than $20,000 worth of infant formula was lost," Sullivan explains. "The stock in Pascagoula was 100-percent condemed. Cereals were wet and the labels had come off the formula, making it impossible to identify the contents.

"Besides the loss of the stock, the population served by WIC was the hardest hit. Some Mississippi recipients were without bottles for their children; there was no water; and housing was a problem for many WIC recipients.

"Our staff living on the cast were suffering from their own personal loss and tragedy, but they were in the office on the job within 448 hours after Elena hit, ready to do whatever they could to help the clients. The team spirit and dedication to the program kept us running," Sullivan recalls.

"Elena hit on Monday. On Tuesday we had infant formula for distribution, and by Wednesday we had issued a press release getting participants know where to go to pick up their supplemental packages on Thursday."

Materials tailored

to clients' needs

As public relations director for WIC, Sullivan sees getting nutrition information to WIC recipients as an important part of her job.

"We target our efforts to females between 12 and 45," says Sullivan, "but even the 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds picking up our materials and looking at the pictures will grasp some of the meaning."

The staff works hard to make certain that the words, graphics, and format of the materials communicate directly to WIC recipients. It is important that they understand the message but aren't left feeling they are being talked down to. The public health staff is aiming to change recipients' eating habits and in the long run improve the health of their families as well.

In their efforts to reach WIC recipients with nutrition information, Sullivan's office has been involved in the printing of the popular "Mississippi WIC Cookbook."

When the book was first published, Sullivan held press conferences in all nine Missippi districts to introduce the book to WIC recipients, media representatives, and health department staff. County nutrionists used recipes from the book to prepare food with WIC ingredients for people at the press conference to taste.

The cookbook received positive reviews from the media as well as WIC recipients, who liked it enough to pass along the information they learned to neighbors and relatives. "We're looking forward to a revision and fourth printing of the cookbook," says Sullivan.

Mississippi has

unusual program

A unique aspect of Mississippi's WIC program is its use of a direct distribution system for WIC food packages. Mississippi is the only state in the nation that operates exclusive with food distribution centers instead of giving WIC recipients vouchers to exchange at authorized food stores.

The distribution centers are warehouses located in all 82 counties. "We hear comments from other states suggesting that transportation would be an overwhelming disadvantage for their clients, but this system works best for us in Mississippi," says Sullivan.