Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation Funds Pilot OB Connect Program

THE JENNIFER BUSH-LAWSON FOUNDATION FUNDS PILOT OB CONNECT PROGRAM

CONTACT
Kelly Garrity
703-462-2336, kgarrity@jb-lf.org

Arlington, VA: June 2021

Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation (JBLF) provided $38,000 to the Virginia Hospital Center for the pilot of the Hospital’s OB Connect program, which provides patients with the flexibility to receive prenatal care from home.

“Just as people have gotten used to tracking their health with watches and other wearable devices, our patients have easy-to-use home monitoring equipment to keep their OB/GYN provider apprised of their vital signs,” said Amanda Rohn, MD, FACOG, VHC Physician Group-OB/GYN. “VHC OB Connect represents a new age of medicine, where we are using technology to make care more convenient for patients and, at the same time, giving them greater access to their healthcare providers.”

Rather than visiting the office for every appointment, OB Connect patients schedule some remote appointments, called Continuing Care Visits, via secure video. The program provides participants with a fetal Doppler to check their baby’s heart rate and an electronic blood pressure cuff for personal blood pressure monitoring. Patients then report these readings to their nurses two days before each appointment through the MyVHC patient portal, allowing nurses to review results and consult doctors and midwives as needed. 

“VHC’s OB Connect program is an essential step in the movement for accessible prenatal care for economically vulnerable moms,” said Neal Lawson, founder and chair of the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation. “With virtual appointments, patients will not have to take time off work, pay for childcare or parking, or rush to appointments. We hope that by funding this program, we can reduce the financial burdens and added stress that so often come with seeking care during pregnancy.”

The JBLF grant provides funding for OB Connect Nurses, at-home care kits for patients, the OB Connect educational app, and the printing and translation of program materials to Spanish for increased accessibility. Additionally, the donation allows patients of VHC’s Outpatient Clinic to access this brand-new program free of charge.

“We cannot thank the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation enough for their generous donation to Virginia Hospital Center,” said Michelle Altman, MBA, MSN, RN, Patient Care Director. “The OB Connect program is transformational for our Outpatient Clinic patients, providing them with reliable access to convenient, top-quality prenatal care.”

The OB Connect program is closely connected to the mission of the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation. Founded in honor of Jenn Lawson, who lost her life in 2014, the organization works to increase access to quality maternal and infant care for economically vulnerable families.

The VHC Physician Group-OB/GYN is the first and only OB/GYN practice in the area to offer a service of this type to their patients. The program is now in full force at VHC, and recently, the first mother to enroll in the program completed a successful delivery.

About the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation

Established in honor of Jennifer Lawson, who lost her life in 2014, the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, serves economically vulnerable mothers and infants by working to increase access to high-quality maternal and pediatric health care and support. Jennifer was a loving, dedicated mother of three, driven to advocacy after receiving high-quality care during her own complicated pregnancies. JB-LF seeks to embody her generous spirit by giving all mothers and newborns the means to thrive.

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Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation Funded Telemedicine Program Shows Promising Results

THE JENNIFER BUSH-LAWSON FOUNDATION FUNDED VHC OUTPATIENT CLINIC TELEMEDICINE PROGRAM REDUCES NEED FOR C-SECTIONS, NICU ADMISSIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT
Kelly Garrity
703-462-2336, kgarrity@jb-lf.org

Arlington, VA: July 20, 2020 – A pilot program exploring the impact of telemedicine on outcomes for high-risk maternity patients and patients with chronic medical conditions run by Virginia Hospital Center (VHC), a community-based hospital providing medical services to the Washington, DC metropolitan area for 75 years, with support from the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation (JBLF) has made a remarkable impact on the lives of low-income, high-risk individuals who may not have otherwise had access to consistent, quality healthcare.

As of December 31, 2019, the telemedicine program has resulted in:

  • A 25.7 percent reduction in c-section rates for high-risk pregnancies;
  • A 61.5 percent reduction in NICU admissions for newborns;
  • A 65.2 percent reduction in emergency room visits;
  • A 56.1 percent reduction in hospital admissions; and
  • A 69.2 percent increase in the number of hypertension patients who achieved their goal blood pressure.

“Telemedicine involves patients as active participants in managing their care, ensuring a higher percentage of healthy outcomes,” said Michelle Altman, MBA, RN, Patient Care Director at the VHC Outpatient Clinic. “Telemedicine patients are more likely to keep scheduled appointments, comply with plans of care and take medications as prescribed which makes them less likely to require a trip to the emergency room or a hospital stay.”

Launched in 2016 with a $275,000 pledge from CareFirst, the pilot program focused primarily on patients with diabetes, blood pressure issues and other concerns that require more consistent monitoring. Throughout the program, more than $120,000 in donations from the JBLF ensured coverage of staff time and allowed the Clinic to establish a more permanent infrastructure for the program which readied the clinic to expand its telemedicine appointments by more than 300 percent following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide care to patients without the risk of exposure.

“Providing economically vulnerable women better access to the maternal care they need is at the very core of JBLF’s mission,” said JBLF Executive Director Kelly Garrity. “Programs like this telemedicine pilot are transformative for women with high-risk pregnancies who do not have the option to take time off work or travel for frequent medical appointments.”

The program will continue to operate out of the Virginia Hospital Center Outpatient Clinic, which serves the community by providing healthcare services to patients with or without insurance. The telemedicine program is fully integrated into VHC’s electronic records management system to make it readily accessible for physicians and patients and a Spanish translator is available.

About the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation

Established in honor of Jennifer Lawson, who lost her life in 2014, the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, serves economically vulnerable mothers and infants by working to increase access to high-quality maternal and pediatric health care and support. Jennifer was a loving, dedicated mother of three, driven to advocacy after receiving high-quality care during her own complicated pregnancies. JB-LF seeks to embody her generous spirit by giving all mothers and newborns the means to thrive.

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Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation Welcomes New Executive Director, Vice Chair

JENNIFER BUSH-LAWSON FOUNDATION WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VICE CHAIR  
Kelly Garrity becomes executive director, Jennifer Myers moves into vice chair role on the board of directors 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Kelly Garrity
703-462-2336, kgarrity@jb-lf.org

ARLINGTON, VA, FEB. 21, 2020 – The Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation (JB-LF) is pleased to welcome Kelly Garrity as our new full-time executive director and Jennifer Myers as Vice Chair of the board of directors.

Garrity comes to JB-LF with more than 15 years of professional experience, having spent the last 10 in nonprofits and health care associations. Most recently, as Senior Director, Member Services and Development at the National Health Council, she led growth in membership and sponsorship while creating innovative strategies to drive corporate and foundation fundraising, instituted new governance processes, and strengthened alliances with senior staff at varied organizations including major pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology companies, professional and membership associations, patient advocacy organizations, and the federal government.

She believes strongly in giving her time to charities close to her heart. Most recently, Garrity has been an active advocate of RESOLVE the Infertility Association and is also a founding member, fundraising chair and legislative co-chair of the Virginia chapter of the Star Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing pregnancy loss and neonatal death and improving care for families who experience such tragedies.

Jennifer Myers, who first joined the foundation in 2016 as an event committee member for its annual 5K & Family Fun Day and then became the full-time executive director in 2017, will join the JB-LF board of directors as Vice Chair. During her time as executive director, Myers launched educational convenings on topics including maternal mortality and equity in prenatal care and created a Prize for Prenatal Innovation that was awarded to Children’s National for a citywide study on maternal mental health for low-income black women.

“I cannot thank these two people enough for all they’ve done — and all they’ll do — for JB-LF,” said Neal Lawson, founder and chair of the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation. “Starting from the seeds of our wonderful, community-based 5K & Family Fun Day, our foundation has grown in both size and impact. We have even more planned, from new research to partnerships and events, all meant to improve access to maternal and infant care for moms and babies in need.”

About the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation
Established in honor of Jenn Lawson, who lost her life in 2014, the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, serves economically vulnerable mothers and infants by working to increase access to high-quality maternal and infant care and support. Jennifer was a loving, dedicated mother of three, driven to advocacy after receiving high-quality care during her own complicated pregnancies. JB-LF seeks to embody her generous spirit by giving all mothers and newborns the means to thrive. More information is available at www.jb-lf.org and on FacebookInstagram and Twitter.

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Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation Announces $25K Award to Children’s National

JENNIFER BUSH-LAWSON FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $25K AWARD TO CHILDREN’S NATIONAL
Inaugural Prize for Prenatal Innovation Award Will Support Research Project to Improve Mental Health in Pregnancy for Low-Income Black Women in Washington, DC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Jennifer Myers
703-462-2336, jmyers@jb-lf.org

Morgan McKean
251-421-1111, mmckean2@childrensnational.org

ARLINGTON, VA, SEPT. 4, 2019 – The Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation (JB-LF) is pleased to announce Children’s National as the winner of the inaugural Prize for Prenatal Innovation, which comes with an award of $25,000. The check will be awarded to Dr. Catherine Limperopoulos by JB-LF Founder Neal Lawson and Executive Director Jennifer Myers on Friday, Sept. 6 at 12pm at Children’s National, located at 111 Michigan Ave. NW. The check awarding event, in the hospital’s Costco Wholesale Atrium, is open to press; please RSVP to info@jb-lf.org.

JB-LF launched the Prize to uncover and support forward-thinking solutions that have the potential to improve access to prenatal care for disadvantaged women in the greater Washington, DC region. This inaugural award will support a citywide research project in Washington, DC, led by Dr. Limperopoulos to develop and implement strategies that reduce obstacles to screening for stress, depression, and anxiety in pregnancy and to provide necessary follow-up resources tailored for low-income black perinatal women.

Stress, depression, and anxiety are the most common complications of pregnancy, affecting up to 25% of women in the prenatal period and/or first postpartum year. For low-income black women, stark disparities cause an even greater burden, with 40% experiencing maternal distress.

The funds provided by JB-LF to Children’s National will specifically underwrite the work of the study’s Stakeholder Engagement Core (SEC), chaired by Robyn Russell and Patricia Quinn, fellows of the DC-Primary Care Association. The SEC will engage black pregnant women, community advocates and clinicians, and representatives from DC Health to adapt and refine proposed interventions. They will also monitor enrollment and follow-up, and disseminate local implementation of the study’s findings. The SEC’s role will ensure community voices strongly inform the research project’s final structure.

“Children’s National is honored to receive the inaugural Jennifer Bush-Lawson Prize for Prenatal Innovation. As a scientist focused on the developing brain, I see how unhealthy environments and maternal stress affect a child’s brain development, even before birth. By connecting with pregnant mothers and empowering them with tools to reduce their own stress and anxiety, we can help their babies have the best possible start to life. We are deeply grateful to the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation for partnering with us to create a citywide network that is strongly informed by community voices,” said Catherine Limperopoulos, PhD, Director and Principal Investigator of the Advanced Pediatric Brain Imaging Research Laboratory, the Center for the Developing Brain; Vice-Chair of Research in Radiology and Co-Director of Research in Newborn Medicine.

“We launched the Prize for Prenatal Innovation because too many vulnerable women don’t receive the type and level of care they need during pregnancy, and we wanted to make a difference. We’re incredibly pleased to partner with Children’s National to support this citywide research project, which could help many women and families now and in years to come,” said Neal Lawson, founder and chair of the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation.

About the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation

Established in honor of Jenn Lawson, who lost her life in 2014, the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, serves economically vulnerable mothers and infants by working to increase access to high-quality maternal and infant care and support. Jennifer was a loving, dedicated mother of three, driven to advocacy after receiving high-quality care during her own complicated pregnancies. JB-LF seeks to embody her generous spirit by giving all mothers and newborns the means to thrive. More information is available at www.jb-lf.org and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Children’s National

Children’s National Health System, based in Washington, D.C., has served the nation’s children since 1870. Children’s National is the nation’s No. 6 pediatric hospital and, for the third straight year, is ranked No. 1 in newborn care, as well as ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. It has been designated two times as a Magnet® hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C. Metropolitan area, including the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Home to the Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is the seventh-highest NIH-funded children’s hospital in the nation. Children’s National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels.  For more information, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation Opens Applications for Inaugural $25K Prize for Prenatal Innovation

 

ARLINGTON, VA, DECEMBER 14, 2018 – The Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation (JB-LF) announces that applications are now open for the inaugural $25,000 Prize for Prenatal Innovation at JB-LF.org/Prize.

More than one-third of births in Washington, DC, receive no prenatal care in the first trimester, according to a recent report from the city’s Department of Health. That number is not much better in neighboring Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, where 29-30% of women didn’t receive prenatal care during their first trimesters. In Arlington County, VA, 1 in 5 births in the county lacked care in the first trimester — a number that is worse than the state average.

The first trimester can be a critical time for doctors to catch chronic health conditions of the mother that could affect the health of both mom and baby. Too many economically vulnerable moms also miss prenatal appointments in the second and third trimesters because of lack of leave or flexibility with work, childcare concerns or problems with transportation. JB-LF, which works to increase access to pre- and post-natal care for economically vulnerable moms and their babies, wants to change that.

By launching this inaugural $25,000 Prize for Prenatal Innovation, the Foundation seeks to uncover and support forward-thinking solutions that have the potential to improve access to prenatal care for disadvantaged women in the greater Washington, DC region.

Who Should Apply

JB-LF welcomes applications from any nonprofit, government or for-profit entity that has an innovative or creative project targeting prenatal care for economically disadvantaged women in the DC area, with a preference for projects that are measurable and have the potential to scale. We see the Virginia, Maryland and DC region as an incubator for these innovative ideas, and by tracking the effectiveness of any project or intervention funded by the prize, our goal is to be able to share successes with other cities and regions tackling similar issues.

“Our country’s maternal health and mortality crisis shows that the way we’re delivering prenatal care right now, especially for economically vulnerable women, simply isn’t working well enough. We need to fund and test new and innovative ideas and then share those solutions broadly. That’s exactly what this Prize seeks to do,” said Neal Lawson, founder and chair of the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation.

Timeline

Applications are now open for the Prize and the deadline to apply is February 28, 2019. Our three-judge panel will then review applications in March and April 2019, with finalists expected to be announced in early May 2019 and a winner in late May/early June 2019. (Timeline subject to change based on the number of applications received.)

Judges’ Committee

Applications will be reviewed by a three-person panel of experts and practitioners. They are:

Sarahn Wheeler

Dr. Sarahn M. Wheeler is a practicing maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Wheeler was born and raised in Mt. Laurel, NJ. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University. She completed medical school at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Wheeler went on to residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Wheeler completed her maternal-fetal medicine sup-specialty training at Duke University in June of 2016.

Dr. Wheeler currently serves as Assistant Professor in the Duke University School of Medicine. In this role, Dr. Wheeler is both a practicing clinician and research faculty. in her clinical role, Dr. Wheeler is the director of Duke’s Prematurity Prevention Program, a specialty clinic that is geared for women with risk factors for preterm birth.  In her research role, Dr. Wheeler has published several peer-reviewed articles on topics ranging from fetal brain injury to vaccination during pregnancy. Dr. Wheeler’s current research focus is on race disparities in preterm birth. She is actively involved in research to develop interventions to improve utilization of preterm birth prevention therapies.

Dr. Wheeler also serves as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the OB/GYN department.  In this role she leads efforts to ensure an inclusive environment for the diverse patients, faculty, staff and trainees within Duke OB/GYN.

Toni G. Verstandig

Toni G. Verstandig is currently the Chair of the Children’s Hospital Foundation Board and the Executive Vice President at The S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace. From November 1994 until January 2001, Ms. Verstandig served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department. In this capacity, she directed and coordinated U.S. bilateral relations and overall policy developments concerning Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority, as well as U.S. economic and commercial policies in the Middle East.

Ms. Verstandig worked directly with the Secretary of State and the Special Middle East Coordinator as a member of the Peace Team where she participated in bilateral and multilateral Middle East peace negotiations. She has a particular expertise in economic, civil affairs and water issues. She also chaired the bilateral Committees on Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. Prior to joining the Peace Team, Ms. Verstandig served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula, where she coordinated the Bureau’s relations with the congress. In that capacity, she was also responsible for the development and management of U.S. bilateral relations with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen.

She also served for 17 years as senior staff to the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the U.S. House of Representatives where she specialized in international terrorism policy, aviation security issues and U.S. military assistance programs.

Ms. Verstandig is a graduate of Boston University and Stephens College, and also holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Seton Hill College. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She serves on the Board and Executive Committee of Children’s National Medical Center, the Board of the University of Denver Korbel School for International Affairs, the National Advisory Board for the Catholic Center for the Study of the Holocaust, the Board of Trustees of the American Friends of the Yitzhak Rabin Center, and of the Center for Global Development. Ms. Verstandig is married, and they have one child.

Terri D. Wright

Terri D. Wright, PhD, MPH, is the Vice President for Program and Community at the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation. She has employed her extensive leadership skills and expertise advancing equity and public health through policy, practice, and management in local and national government, philanthropic and non-profit organizations throughout her career, with a specific interest in maternal and infant health.

She served as the first executive director of The Steve Fund, and as director of both the Center for Public Health Policy and the Center for School, Health and Education at the American Public Health Association (APHA). She also served as program director for health policy at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation for 12 years, where she developed and reviewed the Foundation’s health programming priorities and initiatives, evaluated and recommended proposals for funding, and administered projects and initiatives. She assisted in public policy funding and related policy program development, as well as provided leadership to the Foundation’s policy programming for systemic change.

Prior to the Kellogg Foundation, Dr. Wright was maternal and child health director and bureau chief for Child and Family Services at the Michigan Department of Community Health. In that role, she managed policy, programs, and resources with the goal of reducing preventable maternal, infant, and child morbidity and mortality through policy and programming in Michigan. She improved the availability and utilization of community-based social support programs for positive pregnancy outcomes and secured federal waivers to demonstrate innovative approaches to reducing unplanned pregnancies and improving pregnancy outcomes.

She has also served as the women’s health director for the Family Health Section in the Georgia Division of Public Health, where she directed statewide program policies, practices and budgets for improving the access and quality of family planning and maternal and infant care services to families in rural and urban communities.

Dr. Wright holds a master’s and a doctorate degree from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor’s degree in community and school health from the City University of New York. She is an active member of APHA and was honored with their 2018 Executive Director Citation, and is a former member of the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity and the Elimination of Health Disparities. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband.

Additional Information

More information about eligibility and criteria, as well as the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, is available at JB-LF.org/Prize.

About the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation

Established in honor of Jenn Lawson, who lost her life in 2014, the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, serves economically vulnerable mothers and infants by working to increase access to high-quality maternal and infant health care and support. Jennifer was a loving, dedicated mother of three, driven to advocacy after receiving high-quality care during her own complicated pregnancies. JB-LF seeks to embody her generous spirit by giving all mothers and newborns the means to thrive.

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