Virginia Hospital Center Earns $70,000 Grant to Support Pregnant Women (Arlington Now)

by Melanie Pincus, August 1, 2018 at 4:45 pm

The Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic has an additional $70,354 to support uninsured and low-income pregnant women in the area, thanks to a recent grant from the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation.

The bulk of the grant money — $64,354 — will support the second year of a telemedicine pilot program, which facilitates virtual appointments for patients with high-risk pregnancies who are unable to schedule some appointments in-person due to work, child care commitments or transportation barriers.

Another $5,000 will go to “transportation cards” for pregnant women who are low-income. The remaining $1,000 will go to purchasing “pack-and-plays,” which provide a safe place for newborns to sleep, for families in need.

The Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation was founded in memory of Jennifer Lawson, a mother of three who died in a 2014 accident. Registration is now open for the fourth annual Jennifer Bush-Lawson 5K & Family Fun Day, scheduled for Nov. 17. The event will raise additional funds for the Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic.

Full story: https://www.arlnow.com/2018/08/01/virginia-hospital-center-earns-70000-grant-to-support-pregnant-women/

Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation Announces $70K Grant for Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic

 

(L to R: Lesley Daigle, Telemedicine Coordinator, Outpatient Clinic; Michelle Altman, Patient Care Director, Outpatient Clinic; Betsy Frantz, President, Virginia Hospital Center Foundation; Jennifer Myers, Executive Director, Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation; Taryn Overman, Senior Director, Patient Care Services)  

ARLINGTON, VA, JULY 31, 2018 – The Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation (JB-LF) is pleased to announce a grant totaling $70,354 made to Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic this month to support their work with low-income and uninsured pregnant women in the local community.

This funding covered three significant needs at the Outpatient Clinic:

  • $64,354 to fund nursing and care coordination staffing for a second year of a telemedicine pilot program, which will run through June 2019. The telemedicine program, which launched in 2017, allows for increased prenatal monitoring for high-risk pregnancies through virtual appointments for patients who may otherwise may not be able to make in-person appointments due to work schedules, child care needs or transportation issues. The program seeks to reduce NICU admissions, missed and no-show prenatal appointments, and emergency department visits and hospitalizations (other than for delivery) for economically vulnerable OB patients in the Clinic.
  • $5,000 for transportation cards for low-income expectant mothers who need assistance in order to make prenatal appointments.
  • $1,000 for new pack-and-plays for families in need so their newborns have a safe place to sleep.

“We are grateful to the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation for their support of our telemedicine program,” said Michelle Altman, Patient Care Director, Outpatient Clinic at Virginia Hospital Center. “Telemedicine has helped the Clinic to provide comprehensive, holistic, patient-centered care to pregnant patients who are high risk due to gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension and other complications. Through telemedicine, we are able to reach patients wherever they are in the community, whether on the job or at home. This program has facilitated the more continuous follow-up that is required for successful outcomes in complicated pregnancies. We partner with JB-LF to help keep our patients safe and healthy during and after their deliveries.”

“The work that Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic is doing for the most vulnerable members of our community is directly aligned with our mission to give all mothers and newborns the support they need to thrive. We are extremely pleased to continue partnering with them on these important projects, which have a real and immediate impact for those in need,” said Neal Lawson, founder and chair of the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation.

Funds for this grant were raised through the annual Jennifer Bush-Lawson 5K & Family Fun Day. The 4th annual Jennifer Bush-Lawson 5K & Family Fun Day will be held on November 17, 2018, at the Knights of Columbus, 5115 Little Falls Rd, Arlington, VA 22207, and will again raise funds for low-income pregnant patients at Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic. Registration is now open, with early bird pricing available through September 15, 2018, and sponsorships are also available; for more information, visit www.jb-lf.org/5K.

“We are most appreciative to the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation for its continued dedication and support of the Hospital’s most vulnerable population,” said Betsy Frantz, President, Virginia Hospital Center Foundation.

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.

 

 

Arlington community races for moms, babies at 5K (The Arlington Catholic Herald)

By Stacy Rausch | Catholic Herald Producation Coordinator
11/22/17

Good things can sometimes come from tragedy.

Jennifer Bush-Lawson lost her life in 2014 after spending the morning volunteering at Nottingham Elementary School in Arlington. She was struck and killed by a passing dump truck while putting her daughter in her car seat.

It’s great how the community comes together to support the neighborhood and Neal. It’s a way to keep in touch and support one another. ~ Courtney Portner
Neal Lawson, Jennifer’s husband, has devoted himself to honoring his wife’s memory through the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation (JB-LF), launched in 2015 on the anniversary of her death.

The foundation provides funding for medical care for pregnant women and their children through the first year of life. Being able to help women receive quality healthcare — especially for high-risk pregnancies — is important to the family since the Lawson’s three children were born prematurely, and Jennifer struggled with difficult pregnancies.

One of the ways the foundation is funded is through an annual 5K race and family fun day, now in its third year. This year’s race raised more than $100,000. The Nov. 18 5K race started and finished at the Edward Douglass White Knights of Columbus council home in Arlington. The Knights donated the use of the grounds for the event that drew more than 450 racers ranging in age from 7 to 69. Many families bundled up for the chilly fall day race while pushing babies and toddlers in strollers.

The activities included face painting, moon bounces, food trucks, silent auction and live music.

The foundation’s mission “is to serve economically vulnerable mothers and infants by improving access to high-quality maternal and pediatric healthcare and support.” The JB-LF partners with the Virginia Hospital Center outpatient clinic and the Arlington Pediatric Center to carry out this vision.

Michele Werner, director of development at the Virginia Hospital Center said, “The best thing about working with the JB-LF is how innovative and forward thinking they are to help solve problems for patients, and they care about the population of expectant mothers and children.”

High-risk pregnancies include many doctors’ visits, which can become untenable for many women, especially those with lower incomes or the uninsured. Through the JB-FL, infants receive access to well child medical care, acute care, specialty care, developmental assessments, and pack and plays for a safe place to sleep. Mothers are getting crucial pre-natal care, ultrasounds, and help monitoring their pregnancies through support such as telemedicine, a smartphone app that allows them to check in with a doctor from work or home. This free service has decreased greatly the number of missed appointments.

Courtney Portner, a parishioner of St. Agnes Church in Arlington and friend of the Lawson family, has volunteered at the event for three years. “The race was not only about raising funds,” she said. “It’s great how the community comes together to support the neighborhood and Neal. It’s a way to keep in touch and support one another.”

“The sense of community and giving back is especially important for the kids,” she added. “It was great to see all ages come out, whether they were running or not, to raise money for a great cause.”

Full story: https://www.catholicherald.com/News/Local_News/Arlington_community_races_for_moms,_babies_at_5K/