Maternal & Family Health Services Inc

AS A PRIVATE NON-PROFIT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ORGANIZATION, MATERNAL AND FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES (MFHS) WORKS TO MEET THE HEALTH AND NUTRITION NEEDS OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA'S WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND FAMILIES WITH ESSENTIAL PREVENTATIVE SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND QUALITY CARE. TODAY, WE OVERSEE AND SUPPORT A NETWORK OF HEALTH AND NUTRITION CENTERS IN 17 PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES.SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1971, MFHS HAS RESPONDED TO THE COMMUNITY'S CHANGING NEEDS BY CONTINUALLY DEVELOPING AND ADAPTING INNOVATIVE PROGRAMING THAT IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND FAMILIES. IN MAY 2023, MFHS OPENED A NEW CLINIC LOCATION, CIRCLE OF CARE, IN A LOW-INCOME, HIGH NEED AREA OF SCRANTON TO EXPAND CAPACITY TO DELIVER PROGRAMS IN AN INNOVATIVE AND INCLUSIVE MATERNITY MEDICAL HOME MODEL OF CARE. THIS NEW MATERNITY MEDICAL HOME MODEL, THE FIRST IN PENNSYLVANIA, IS DESIGNED TO REMOVE LANGUAGE, TRANSPORTATION, AND FINANCIAL BARRIERS TO ENSURE CONTINUITY OF CARE.

WIC NUTRITION PROGRAMTHE WIC NUTRITION PROGRAM HELPS IMPROVE THE LIVES OF AT-RISK WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN 17 PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES AT 32 OFFICE LOCATIONS AND 6 LOCATIONS SERVED BY OUR WIC MOBILE UNIT BY PROMOTING GOOD NUTRITION HABITS. THROUGH NUTRITION COUNSELING, ELECTRONIC WIC (EWIC) BENEFITS TO PURCHASE HEALTHY FOODS, AND BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT, WE ARE FOSTERING HEALTHIER PREGNANCIES, HEALTHIER BIRTH OUTCOMES, BETTER GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN, AND A REDUCTION IN CHILDHOOD OBESITY. AS OF NOVEMBER, A TOTAL OF 73,894 UNDUPLICATED PARTICIPANTS WERE SERVED BY THE WIC PROGRAM.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICESMFHS OFFERS ACCESSIBLE, CONFIDENTIAL FAMILY PLANNING AND RELATED PREVENTIVE CARE TO WOMEN, MEN, AND TEENS IN 15 PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES. THROUGH TITLE X OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT, WE PRIORITIZE THE NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME AND UNINSURED WOMEN, MEN, AND TEENS BY OFFERING FREE OR AFFORDABLE CARE THROUGH OUR DIRECT SERVICES AND A DIVERSE NETWORK OF CONTRACTORS. IN 2023, 16,317 WOMEN, MEN AND TEENS IN OUR NETWORK RECEIVED REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES AND WERE COUNSELED ON THEIR CONTRACEPTION OPTIONS, AVOIDING 2,400 UNINTENDED PREGNANCIES. THE MFHS SAFETEENS INITIATIVE, THROUGH A WEBSITE, TEXT LINE AND HOTLINE, PROVIDES ADOLESCENTS ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA WITH THE KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED TO PREVENT UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES AND MAKE INFORMED, HEALTHY CHOICES ABOUT THEIR FUTURES. MFHS CONTINUES TO OFFER REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION TO AT-RISK TEENS THROUGH SUCH PROGRAMS AS SAFESPACE, IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND INTERMEDIATE UNITS.

NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIPTHE MFHS NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIP (MFHS-NFP) EMPOWERS PREGNANT MOTHERS TO DEVELOP CRITICAL PARENTING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT OF HIGHLY TRAINED NURSE HOME-VISITORS. WITH FUNDING FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA OFFICE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY LEARNING, WE PARTNER AT-RISK MOMS, MANY OF WHOM ARE TEENS, WITH VISITING NURSES WHO PROVIDE HEALTH, PLANNING, AND GOAL-SETTING EDUCATION. THROUGH THIS EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM, PARENTS ARE ABLE TO LEARN HOW TO BUILD HEALTHY FAMILIES FOR A LIFETIME OF HEALTH AND ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY.IN 2023, IN TOTAL, 372 AT-RISK MOTHERS RECEIVED HOME HEALTH EDUCATION AND SUPPORT THROUGH 4,527 COMPLETED HOME-VISITS.