Maribeth Badura, 1947-2010:
Visionary and Leader for Maternal and Child Health
Maribeth Badura, 63, a Milwaukee native educated in Chicago, joined the Federal HHS HRSA staff located in Rockville, MD in 1991. Between 1991 and 2010, she was instrumental in the creation, implementation, oversight, and evaluation of the National Healthy Start (HS) Program to eliminate health disparities and infant mortality, particularly among high risk populations. The Healthy Start Initiative focuses on reducing the contributing factors to infant mortality utilizing community-based strategies to serve pregnant and parenting women, infants and their families.
Originally stationed in HRSA’s Chicago Field Office serving as Nurse Consultant for the Midwest area, Ms. Badura began working with communities applying for the HS infant mortality reduction demonstration program in April 1991, and served as a project officer for the first communities funded under the Initiative in 1991. In 1993, she relocated to Washington, DC as project officer and became a HS Branch Chief in 1995. In 1998, she became the Acting Director for the MCHB Division of Healthy Start and Perinatal Services and was named as the Director in 2004.
She has participated in the growth of the HS program from 15 communities funded at $13 million in 1991 to 104 communities at $105 million in 39 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in 2010. In addition, she oversaw about $7 million in other programs serving women and parents. She recently received the National Perinatal Association’s National/International MCH Award; the MCHB Director’s Achievement Award; and the US Public Health Service Minnegerode Award for Nursing Excellence - Gregg Group Award for Teamwork.
Prior to HRSA, Maribeth worked for the Illinois Department of Health as a Nurse Consultant (1983-86), a Clinical Nurse Specialist at Mt. Sinai Medical Center (1981-83); Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center/Rush College of Nursing (1974-1981) where, as a Practitioner Teacher/Assistant Chair, she headed the practice and university MCH activities; Mercy Hospital and Medical Center (1971-1974); and, the University of Illinois Medical Center (1969-1971). An active member of the American Nurses’ Association (ANA), Ms. Badura served as President of the Illinois Nurses Association, testified before Congress on the uninsured, and chaired several national committees dealing with nurse workforce issues for ANA.
Maribeth Badura was a true nursing and public health visionary, leader, mentor, and champion. Ms. Badura is survived by her brothers, James and Thomas.
