Maternal & Family Health Services Announces Urgent Voluntary LO/OVRAL Recall
If you are currently taking LO/OVRAL and are an MFHS client, please call your local MFHS family planning clinic immediately to see if your medication is on the recall list and to receive guidance related to your birth control options.
Maternal & Family Health Services has received a notice that the birth control pill, LO/OVRAL has been recalled by the manufacturer due to the fact that some of the pill packs may contain an inexact count of placebo or active ingredients. Because of this, MFHS will no longer make this contraceptive available until further notice. However, MFHS does have an alternative available to our clients.
Donna Decker Selected as Outstanding Community Partner by MFHS
Donna Decker, Community Health Manager for Wayne Memorial Hospital (left), accepts MFHS Outstanding Community Partner Award from Bette Cox Saxton, MFHS President &CEO, and the MFHS 40th Annual Meeting held October 26.
The 2011 Outstanding Community Partner Award was presented to Donna Decker, Community Health Manager for Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, in recognition of her work to create essential partnerships that connect people to programs and services, encourage healthy living, and build a stronger community.
Donna’s efforts on behalf of the Wayne Memorial Hospital include participation in the State Health Improvement Plan, the Prevention Initiative, the Well Weighs Project, and tobacco free initiatives. MFHS is especially grateful for her efforts on behalf of the Together for Health School Program, which brings important healthy living information to adolescents.
Donna helps connect MFHS with young people who could benefit from our services, and assists MFHS in improving the ways we reach out to teens and the services and information we provide.
MFHS honors and celebrates her work to ensure people have access to the information and resources to help them make healthy choices.
Rose Allan Tucker Award Presented to Ron and Suzanne Hillard Of The Hope Center
Lesa Gelb, Esq., right, chairperson of the MFHS Board of Directors, presents the Rose Allan Tucker Award to Suzanne and Ron Hillard of The Hope Center.
Maternal and Family Health Services presented the Rose Allan Tucker Award to Ron and Suzanne Hillard, founders of The Hope Center in Trucksville, Pennsylvania. The award was presented October 26, 2011, at the 40th Annual Meeting of the MFHS Board of Directors.
Named for the late Rose Allan Tucker, former Luzerne County Commissioner and long-time employee of MFHS, the award is presented annually to a person(s) who has made a significant and lasting contribution to enhance the quality of life for women, children and families in any area of the 16-county region served by Maternal and Family Health Services.
The Hillards were recognized for their efforts to help people in need of medical care through The Hope Center, which they started with their own seed money to offer free medical, legal, pastoral and other resources to people in need. Ron and Suzanne Hillard recruited volunteers from the medical, legal and counseling fields to provide these services. The Hope Center’s service population includes many single women with children in need of care.
When they come to The Hope Center, they are given personal attention, medical treatment, legal and financial advice, and connected to community services that can help them build a healthy future. The Hillards are committed to ensuring that each person who comes to The Hope Center is treated with dignity and respect. In accepting the award, Ron Hillard thanked all the professionals who volunteer their time to serve the people who visit The Hope Center. To learn more about the Hope Center call (570) 696-1128.
Congressman Tim Holden Honored for Outstanding Public Service
Anne Gober, MFHS Senior Operations Manager for Schuylkill County, presents the MFHS Outstanding Public Servant Award to Bill Hanley, Projects Director for Congressman Tim Holden (D-17th).
The MFHS 2011 Outstanding Public Service award was presented to Congressman Tim Holden at the 40th Annual Meeting of the MFHS Board of Directors on October 26th. Congressman Holden represents people MFHS serves in the Schuylkill County and Berks County area.
The Outstanding Public Service award is in recognition of Congressman Holden’s dedication to improving health care for Pennsylvania families. At MFHS, we are especially grateful for Congressman Holden’s leadership in supporting the WIC Nutrition Program as part of the Agriculture Committee, and for voting to protect access to reproductive health care for low income and uninsured women.
During the budget battle in Washington earlier this year, Congressman Holden stood up in support of women’s health care and voted against a Congressional Resolution which would have been detrimental to the MFHS Title X provider network. This vote demonstrated Congressman Holden’s understanding of the value of preventative health care, and the devastating impact this measure would have had on poor and working class women who rely on the Title X provider network for affordable, quality care.
We are grateful to Congressman Holden for standing up against this attack on women’s access to care, and for supporting the Title X Family Planning Program and the provider network that has been serving the public health good for 40 years.
Congressman Holden was not able to accept the award in person at the MFHS 40th Annual Meeting because he was in Washington. Bill Hanley, Projects Director for Holden’s office, accepted the award on Holden’s behalf, and extends best wishes to MFHS in celebration of 40 years of service.
Dr. Holly Atkinson Offers Inspiration and Motivation at MFHS 40th Annual Meeting
Dr. Holly Atkinson & MFHS President & CEO Bette Cox-Saxton at the 40th Annual Meeting.
Dr. Holly Atkinson, nationally recognized speaker known for offering practical advice, motivation and inspiration, presented “The 5 Keys to Maximum Health” during the MFHS 40th Annual Meeting held October 26. The Annual Meeting was a community event to celebrate 40 years of service with MFHS board members, partners and supporters. It was an opportunity to take a look back on all that MFHS has accomplished over the past four decades and look ahead to new opportunities.
During her presentation, Dr. Atkinson discussed the research that shows that simple solutions like moving more and thinking positively can have a lasting and positive impact on overall health and wellness, and provided evidence of the negative health impact of behaviors such as sedentary lifestyles, poor diet, negative thinking, stress, and a self-centered culture.
Dr. Atkinson’s experience as a national medical correspondent includes appearances on NBC’s Today show, The CBS Morning News, Lifetime Medical Television, and PBS. She is an entrepreneur who founded and served as President & CEO of Reuters Health Information Inc., founding Medical Editor-In-Chief of Everydayhealth.com, a leading health website, and a best-selling author of Women and Fatigue. Dr. Atkinson is also Assistant Professor of Medicine and co-Director of the Advancing Idealism in Medicine Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor of Public Health at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
Thank you to Dr. Atkinson for joining us at this year’s annual meeting and for your words of inspiration and motivation!
Enter To Win A Trip To Walt Disney World From MFHS!
Have you heard the good news? You can celebrate MFHS’ 40 years of service by celebrating Disney’s 40 Years of Magic. That’s right; MFHS isn’t the only one celebrating our 40th anniversary! Walt Disney World is celebrating their 40th anniversary as well, and there’s no better way to celebrate both than with Mickey Mouse himself!
Maternal & Family Health Services is raffling a 7 day/ 6 night Disney vacation to celebrate our 40th anniversary. The trip includes Disney Deluxe Resort accommodations and theme park tickets for a family of four and is valued up to $5000 (airfare not included)! Raffle tickets are $20, and only 500 are being sold. You must be 18 years or older to win, and the trip must be taken by October 31, 2012. The winner will be picked at the MFHS 40th Anniversary Gala on November 5, 2011, and you need not be present to win. Proceeds benefit Maternal & Family Health Services.
Call our administration office at 570-826-1777 for more information or to purchase your raffle tickets. Hurry, they won’t last long!
Introducing The 2011 WIC Income Guidelines
WIC income guidelines for 2011-2012 have changed! WIC will determine gross household income based on everyone living in a single home. Relatives, non-relatives, infants, and even unborn babies are included. If the household income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty income level, with all residents taken into consideration, they qualify for WIC!
Below is a simple chart of eligibility. These new guidelines went into effect July, 1st.
2011-2012 WIC INCOME GUIDELINES – Effective July 1, 2011
Gross income before taxes
| Family Size | Weekly (Approximate) | Monthly (Approximate) |
Annually |
| 1 | 387 | 1,678 | 20,147 |
| 2 | 523 | 2,267 | 27,214 |
| 3 | 659 | 2,856 | 34,281 |
| 4 | 795 | 3,445 | 41,348 |
| 5 | 931 | 4,034 | 48,415 |
| 6 | 1067 | 4,623 | 55,482 |
| Expected babies are counted in family size.
For each additional family member, add: |
136 | 588 | 7,067 |
To apply for WIC, one must be either a pregnant woman, a woman breastfeeding a baby under one year of age, a woman who has had a baby in the past six months, or parents, step-parents, guardians, and foster parents of infants and children under the age of five.
Other qualifications include the need for proper nutrition guidance due to a medically-based risk or diet-based risk. Participants must also be Pennsylvania residents.
Visit our website for more details about the program!
Northeast Pennsylvania Cheerleaders – Help Us Raise Funds To Fight Breast Cancer!
Maternal & Family Health Services is proud to announce a special competition to help fight breast cancer this October. MFHS and Avon District 2880 are sponsoring a spirit competition and fundraiser for cheerleaders at high schools throughout our service area.
Cheerleaders will host a PINK OUT at a home game during the month of October – Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Your imagination is key when it comes to decorating the stadium! Make sure to have everyone dress in pink.: the cheerleaders, coaches, band members, football players and fans.
All squads will be asked to hold an Avon Fundraiser from October 8th through October 20th. All proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the Breast Cancer treatment and prevention program at the Maternal & Family Health Services. By your squad participating we will be able to provide free mammograms and breast cancer care to the women right in your home town.
The high school cheerleading squad with the “Most Spirit” will be recognized with the “2011 Breast Cancer Awareness Award.” Each member of the squad will receive $50 FREE Avon and Mark products. The cheerleader with the highest sales will receive “Outstanding Achievement Reward” and $100 of FREE Avon and Mark products.
Many women in our area go without getting a much needed mammogram because they cannot afford it or may not have the insurance to cover one. Your participation in this fundraiser & competition will help raise much needed funds to provide mammograms to those who would otherwise go without. Your participation could possibly save the life of a family member, neighbor or friend.
Registration Deadline is September 28th, 2011. Please contact Kathy Brocca, Event Coordinator at (570) 362-3614 or kathy.brocca@avon.com.
Pink Is The Color Of Hope
Please join the membership of The Abington Heights Civic League, Inc. as we join hands to form our second annual “Living Pink Ribbon of Hope” in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Cheryl Kaiser of Kaiser Fine Photography will photograph the living ribbon, and awareness posters including the photograph will be distributed throughout our area during the month of October.
Individual photographs will be available for purchase and all proceeds will benefit the NEPA Susan G. Komen 2011 Race for the Cure. Sunday, September 18th 1:00 pm (this event should last no more than ½ hour)
The grounds of the Abington Area Community Park – next to the Abington Senior Center, 1151 Winola Rd. ( Rt. # 307) , in South Abington Twp. Parking is available at the Senior Center. All are invited, please bring a friend!!
Please wear a pink shirt!
Any questions please call Colleen – 585.1355
Introducing Dr. Holly Atkinson
This year, the MFHS Annual Meeting & Community Luncheon will be held on October 26th at the Woodlands Inn & Resort, and will feature guest speaker Dr. Holly Atkinson. Dr. Atkinson holds degrees in both medicine and journalism, and has worked as a renowned medical correspondent for HealthiNation, NBC Today and The CBS Morning News. Her speeches offer practical advice to inspire change in everyday life and bring about physical and mental change that will make you happier and healthier. Dr. Atkinson’s aim is to help participants set realistic goals for themselves, and help promote action toward a healthier lifestyle.
Dr. Holly Atkinson is Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Advancing Idealism in Medicine Program at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Health at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She is also Chief Medical Officer and Senior Medical Correspondent for HealthiNation and Past President of Physicians for Human Rights, a non-profit organization that shared in the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.
She brings energy, humor and excitement to her keynote speeches. Her most popular topics have been “Good Health in Hard Times,” “Women, Stress and Fatigue: Best Solutions,” and “The 5 Ways to Maximize Health.”
While the meeting is exclusively for Maternal and Family Health Services board members, the community luncheon featuring Dr. Atkinson is open to the public. Come join us for a lovely afternoon at the Woodlands! Please refer to our events page for more details and how to purchase tickets.
