Lions help hospital offer new program for parents, newborns

Parenting is one of the easiest subjects to form an opinion about, yet one of the hardest things to do.

That’s one reason why CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital–San Marcos, is offering a new program Every Baby Matters Mission designed to help both newborns and parents.

On Tuesday that mission was made easier thanks in part to a generous $16,000 contribution from the San Marcos Lions Club.

The funds will be combined with a portion of the proceeds raised from CHRISTUS Santa Rosa San Marcos Foundation’s Stars of Texas Foundation Gala in April.

“We’re honored to do this–be the startup for a new program–I think it’s going to be amazing for San Marcos,” said Lions Club member Corey Wheeler.

“Hopefully we’ll continue this partnership in the future, as well as this program,' Wheeler said.

EBMM is a free home visitation program offered to mothers whose infants are born at CSRH-SM.

Participating families are visited by a registered nurse who provides a medial assessment on mother, baby, and parenting education.

The EBMM bridges the gap between family needs and community resources with the goal of increased child well-being and reduction of child abuse and hospital readmission in Hays County.

While the family is still at CSRH-SM (or in some cases after they have been discharged), they are provided with information describing the EBMM and its ben- efits.

During this time, the registered nurse (RN) begins the process of establishing trust and rapport with the new mother and father and will schedule a home visit within four to seven days.

Mothers arriving home from the hospital with a newborn baby are usually exhausted, uneasy, and overwhelmed with caring for their new little ones.

These common symptoms after delivery coupled with postpartum depression, families with multiples, being uninsured or financial burdens can result in additional challenges with baby and mom. Chairman of the Board for CSRH-SM Foundation, Corey Carothers thanked the Lions Club for their contribution.

“We thank you for all you do for San Marcos,” Carothers said.

“What’s great about this board is we’re all local and we care about the community. We appreciate all the [Lions] do for us.” Thomas McKinney, President of CSRH-SM said the Women’s Center is projected to deliver more than 700 babies this year and that support like this is, “meaningful.”

“The fact that the support comes locally is much more meaningful to us,” McKinney said.

“CHRISTUS Health is spread out in quite a few markets, but when we feel the local support, it makes a huge difference to our ability to reach more people, which is ultimately at the core of our mission. It’s important to reach moms and in some cases people that are vulnerable, people that are underserved and just don’t have the resources as others.

'You guys have been a force multiplier for us. Thank you so much for your support, we’ll put it to great use.”