Mother Joseph Fund assists community partners
The test is a simple one but vital in identifying potential problems for expectant mothers and their unborn babies. Now clients of El Proyecto del Barrio, Inc., Inc., which provides primary health care and other services to under-served populations, have convenient access to electronic fetal monitoring to identify potential prenatal complications.
Through the generosity of the Mother Joseph fund, Providence Tarzana Medical Center presented a $7,800 check Friday to purchase the equipment for El Proyecto to help serve women in their communities. Some 15 percent of the center’s 2,000 patients miss their appointments at the hospital for this non-stress test because they don’t have transportation.
“This equipment will help provide the right care in the right place,” said Shawn Kiley, director of mission leadership for the hospital. “It is the mission of Providence to care for the poor and vulnerable and we’re honored to expand care into our communities.”
Kiley led a blessing ceremony during Friday’s gathering in Winnetka to celebrate the gift of healthy lives through this contribution to El Proyecto’s services.
Providence Tarzana chose this donation to ensure underserved pregnant women who need this noninvasive monitoring are able to access it in their communities. The non-stress test measures the heart rate of a fetus in response to its movements, determines whether fetal activity and heart rate are within normal ranges and checks to make sure the baby is getting enough oxygen.
“I’m very thankful to Providence Tarzana Medical Center for making this happen,” said Karmen Tatulian, M.D., medical director and chief medical officer of El Proyecto. “It means we can make prenatal diagnostics much more accessible to our patients.”
The donation is from Providence Health & Services’ Mother Joseph Fund, named for the pioneering Sister of Providence whose legacy of compassionate care to the poor and vulnerable continues today across seven Western states. The fund provides donations to partners across the San Fernando Valley, in communities served by Providence Tarzana and sister hospitals Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills and Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Burbank.
