PreventionPays text and the 898211 suite of services will now be available to all Idaho residents. Idaho Careline acquired funding through Idaho Department of Health and Welfare for three years of sms services via the PreventionPays 898211 platform.

Idaho joins several other states on the platform. 898211 is quickly becoming a recognizable brand related to getting help through 211. When residents from Idaho text their 5 digit zip code to 898211, they will be routed to a resource specialist for live 2-way sms support at Idaho Careline. If you text 898211 and you are outside one of the service areas now covered by 898211 and you wish to have this service in your community, you should contact your 211 office and request it.

898211 I&R has been a very popular method for contacting 211. But I&R is not the only service 898211 is becoming known for. Over the past year, 898211 has been used for outgoing alerts to help homeless families find shelters during the recent cold weather that spread across the county, alerts to promote family nutrition, alerts for health services/resources related to the ACA, alerts to help build awareness about the risks of binge drinking on college campuses, tailored educational texts to promote breastfeeding among low income moms and so, so much more.

We are delighted Idaho Careline selected PreventionPays text for their sms communication needs!

898211 is a fully provisioned Tier 1 short code with all mobile carriers in North America. 898211 or TXT211 is specifically designed for I&R services and health & safety alerts to communities. 898211 is the only short code in the US provisioned for texting specific to 211 services.

We've received several requests for another webinar on Texting and WIC moms. The service provides secure texting for WIC agencies and is now used in several states for educational texts and two-way conversational texting. Pre-register now by going here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/2726525326567937026

Participants will learn how texting is being used by WICs to promote breastfeeding education among GenY moms
They will also learn how WICs are communicating with their caseload using 2-way conversational texting
They will also learn new innovative strategies being used by WICs to reschedule missed appts

The WIC Text Program also supports best practice appointment reminders and compliance (upload your excel, WIX, ISIS, WRI, txt, csv) select the message and the system handles the rest! Most importantly, you'll be able to track the reminders to confirm all phones received the message! And completely unique to PreventionPays, you'll see responses to the reminders appear in the text inbox. So, if mom needs to reschedule you can do so in a quick text dialogue!)

Additionally, you can promote the secure number (a fully provisioned short code that guarantees coverage across all mobile carriers in the US) in your community to encourage WIC eligible moms to text for more information. Set up automated messages to provide links to online enrollment! Texting is helping WICs increase enrollments and maintain caseload retention by educating moms about changes in the benefits so that they use the service for the entire period of eligibility!

WICs using the text program are reporting remarkable results:

96% of participants respond favorably to getting their education through text
98% of participants respond to direct messages from WIC staff
95% of participants choose to breastfeed after receiving education

"We started using the text program to follow up with missed appointments. The response has been tremendous. This has been a game changer for us." WIC Director, CA

Texting In Health & Human Services