February 2014 - In This Issue

Save the Date for Healthy Beginnings, Bright Futures Luncheon

Be the Change...Paying it Forward

New Appointments for CEO, Pamela Pimentel

Spotlight On

LEE ANN STONE, RN

"While recovering from a heart attack in 2006, I realized I needed to give back to the community, and worry less about profit margins."

Lee Ann is the Director of Programs for MOMS Orange County. She supervises the RN Case Managers and oversees the charting and assessment reviews of six home visitors. With extensive experience in managing large numbers of people, and a logical approach to creating more efficient processes, Lee Ann's knowledge and skill set are extremely valuable.
     Lee Ann has been with MOMS Orange County for seven years, and, you could say that she joined because of an epiphany. Previously working for a large medical group which provided managed care services, Lee Ann suffered a heart attack in 2006. While she was recovering in the ICU, she realized she needed to give back to her community, and worry less about profit margins. She decided that corporate medicine wasn't for her, and instead wanted to dedicate her skills to working at the grass roots level. Fortunately, a position for an RN Case Manager opened up, and within a few months, she was hired at MOMS Orange County.
     Preferring wilderness to the big city, Lee Ann loves being outdoors. Whether it is hiking, camping or driving up the California coast, she has a passion for experiencing nature firsthand. In her spare time, she also enjoys being involved with her church, and unwinding from long days with a good book. She is excited for the future of MOMS Orange County, and hopes to see increased health outcomes and decreased healthcare-related costs.
     With her help, MOMS Orange County will continue to expand it's reach, and help more women and their families have healthy babies.

SAVE THE DATE!

Luncheon & Fundraiser

Thursday, May 8, 2014

11:00 am - 1:30 pm

More details coming soon

Thanks for helping us reach our 1,000 "Likes" goal!

Let's keep it going!

Economic Impact of MOMS Orange County's Home Visitation Program

In a recent study performed by Yuqing Guo, PhD, RN from the UCI Program in Nursing Science, evidence was presented about the cost savings generated by our Home Visitation program.

RESULTS: Dr. Guo and her colleagues estimate that MOMS Orange County generates $1.6 million in savings in Orange County, $2.1 million in California and $3.2 million in the U.S. in reducing preterm births. The same estimate was applied to very low birth weight births ($280,000 per VLBW birth). They estimate that MOMS Orange County generates $560,000 savings in Orange County, $1.1 million in California and $2.2 million in the U.S. through reducing VLBW deliveries.

CONCLUSIONS: The evidence suggests that MOMS Orange County has the potential to save significant healthcare costs by increasing the rates of positive birth outcomes.

Be The Change Yoga -
Paying it Forward

Be The Change Yoga co-founder Katie Sheldon worked as an intern at MOMS Orange County in 2006, implementing a six-week holistic health education and yoga program. Her work at MOMS Orange County inspired her to become actively involved in the community and gave her a platform to pursue her dreams. Be The Change Yoga, located in Irvine, is an organization dedicated to helping people improve their lives and they believe that EVERYONE should be able to practice yoga. That's why they chose a donation-based model to make these services accessible and affordable. "We strive to create community partnerships and highly value the life-changing services that MOMS provides", Katie says. "That's why we will be donating a portion of our profits to MOMS Orange County this quarter". For more information visit Be The Change Yoga.

Exciting Appointments for
CEO, Pamela Pimentel

Pamela Pimentel, RN, has been appointed to the Regional Community Engagement Advisory Committee for the West Regional Operations Center of the National Children's Study. Pamela was selected to represent Orange County because of her role as a leader in the health of women and babies in Orange County and her previous experience as the Chair of the Community Outreach Committee of the National Children's Study's Orange County Vanguard Center. The committee will help guide plans for community outreach and participant retention in Orange County and across the region.

Pamela was also recently appointed as the Community Co-Chair of the Orange County Alliance for Community Health Research. The purpose of the Alliance is to create an infrastructure in Orange County that increases the capacity of community organizations and universities to engage in health research that is designed by the community to meet the needs of the community, also known as community-based participatory research.
As Community Co-Chair, Pamela will work with the University of California, Irvine Co-Chair, professor Michael Montoya, Ph.D., Department of Anthropology, to create goals for the Alliance, assist with the review process for Campus Community Research Incubator Awards, and help plan the Community Engagement workshop at the Translational Research Day at UC Irvine on June 27, 2014.