Saint Thomas Medical Partners Receive Grant

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Saint Thomas Medical Partners (STMP) Saint Louise Family Medicine Center in Murfreesboro has received a one-year $50,234 grant from The Healing Trust to support the Bilingual Childbirth Educator/Lactation Consultant (BCE) program.  The BCE program provides care, education, and support for pregnant women and new mothers to ensure physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy women and engendering positive health outcomes for newborns.

The STMP Saint Louise Family Medicine Center is part of the Saint Thomas Health’s network of family health clinics serving the community by providing health care to all ages regardless of insurance or financial resources.  Saint Thomas Health is part of Ascension, the nation’s largest Catholic and non-profit health system.

In addition to primary and acute care, the SMTP Saint Louise Family Medicine Center provides prenatal and obstetrics care and has experienced a 136% increase in the last 12 months in the numbers of women presenting for prenatal and OB care. More than 60% of its patients seeking OB/GYN care are Hispanic; many Hispanic patients experience language, medical literacy and cultural barriers that can impede healthy outcomes. The overarching program goal is to reduce the rates of pre-term labor, low-weight birth babies and infant mortality.

“We are grateful to The Healing Trust for their support for this very important program for our vulnerable populations,” said Yvette Doran, Chief Operating Officer, Saint Thomas Medical Partners. “The Bilingual Childbirth Educator program will overcome language barriers and support our efforts to provide the highest standard of care for women through trimester-specific prenatal and lactation education, breastfeeding assistance and language support.”

The mission of The Healing Trust, a private grant making foundation, is the sacred work of fostering healing and wholeness for vulnerable populations through strategic investing, philanthropy and advocacy.           

The Healing Trust awarded funds totaling more than $1.1 Million in its most recent grant cycle.  Recipients of the contributions include non-profit organizations from 40 counties in Middle Tennessee that focus on advocacy, physical health, mental health, recovery from alcohol and drug abuse, and healing from abuse, neglect and violence.  This year’s grants bring the collective grant making of The Healing Trust to more than $74 million since 2002.  The Trust, while created out of the sale of Baptist Hospital to Ascension Health/St. Thomas Health Services, is a private, independent foundation and is not affiliated with the Saint Thomas Health Services or the Saint Thomas Health Services Fund.

“We are thrilled to be in partnership with these 26 nonprofits that are investing themselves into their communities and creating access to compassionate healthcare for the most vulnerable of our neighbors,” said Dr. Cathy Self, The Healing Trust President and CEO.