Maternal and Family Health Services Announces Staff Promotion At Maternal and Family Health Services (MFHS), Laurie Waskovich, MS, RD, CLC, has been promoted to Nutrition Services Administrator. This newly created role reflects an expansion of nutrition services at MFHS and Laurie’s oversight of existing and newly developed service lines. As Nutrition Services Administrator, Waskovich oversees nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and quality management in the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC), and has expanded her responsibilities to include oversight of nutrition and lactation support for the maternity program. In addition, Waskovich launched and oversees the innovative TeleWIC clinic at MFHS, maximizing access to WIC through remote options for WIC visits. For the last twenty years, Laurie has been ensuring high quality nutrition and breastfeeding services at MFHS in various roles in the WIC Program. Waskovich holds a BS in Nutrition Sciences from Penn State University and a Masters in Food and Nutrition from Marywood College, and is a Certified Lactation Counselor.
MFHS Donates Diapers and Baby Wipes to Families in Need Maternal and Family Health Services (MFHS) is pleased to announce that a Mother’s Day Diaper Drive organized by Penn East Federal Credit Union collected 7,500 diapers, 7,000 baby wipes, 177 baby outfits, and $2,000 in cash donations for the families enrolled in their Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) Program. The Penn East FCU Community Involvement Committee (CIC) coordinated the activity at all five Penn East FCU branches during the month of April, with the goal of collecting over 2,000 diapers. “We are so grateful to the staff and customers of Penn East FCU for supporting our Nurse-Family Partnership clients,” said MFHS President and CEO, Maria Montoro Edwards, PhD, “The response was incredible, and will make such a difference to the at-risk mothers and children we serve.” The Nurse-Family Partnership program pairs specially trained nurses with at risk, often young, mothers-to-be, beginning early in the pregnancy and continuing until the child’s second birthday. NFP nurses help families prepare for their child, and help them lay the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits. Penn East has been an integral part of the community in Lackawanna to, Luzerne, and Wyoming counties for over eighty years. Penn East FCU’s team believes that by assisting and being involved in their membership counties, they can help to create and be a part of a more positive future for Northeastern Pennsylvania. Through the diaper drive, the community-minded credit has made a positive impact in the lives of the local families that MFHS serves.
MFHS Holds Inaugural Mother’s Day Celebration Maternal and Family Health Services held With Love which was a celebration of all the mothers in Northeast Pennsylvania, and an opportunity to thank them for all that they do. The two events took place the week before Mother’s Day at Voodoo Brewing Co. and at the Hazleton Art League. Both evenings featured a photo booth, flower cart, self-care station, activities for kids, and food stations. All proceeds raised from the events will support programming at MFHS for women, children, and families in need. The events were made possible thanks to the generosity of the following sponsors: Building Blocks Learning Center Highmark Youngman, Rosenthal & Shaffer Wealth Management Group The Hazzouri Group at Morgan Stanley Wayne Memorial Hospital Honesdale National Bank Pondurance Topp Business Solutions DxDempsey Architecture Gmerek Government Relations Caring Communities Snyder & Clemente Law Offices of Phillip Gelso Attainable Edge Barbara Bossi Progressive Insurance Foundation Fidelity Bank Jennifer Lee Hetro LLC Suzanne Fletcher Posture Interactive Bayard Printing For over 50 years, MFHS has been supporting the health and nutrition of our community by delivering programs and services that meet critical needs and result in positive outcomes for mothers and children. These programs include: the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, The Nurse-Family Partnership Program, reproductive care, and the Healthy Beginnings Plus Maternity Program. Together these programs form a maternal health safety net that protects the health of pregnant individuals by connecting them to essential care and support services.
Maternal & Family Health Services Hosts Inaugural Mother’s Day Celebrations Maternal & Family Health Services, Inc. (MFHS) announces that its inaugural Mother’s Day celebrations will be held in Scranton on May 7th and Hazleton on May 9th. From MFHS, With Love will be a celebration of all the mothers in Northeast Pennsylvania and an opportunity to say thank you for all that they do for their families. The two events will take place the week before Mother’s Day at the following locations: Tuesday May 7th | 4 – 7 p.m.MFHS Circle of Care & Voodoo Brewing Co.820 South Washington Ave., Scranton, PA Thursday, May 9th | 4 – 7 p.m.Hazleton Art League31 W. Broad St., Hazleton, PA Both evenings will be open house style events that will feature a photo booth, flower cart, fragrance bar, activities for kids, food stations, and more. All proceeds raised from the events will support programming at MFHS for women, children, and families in need. For over 50 years, MFHS has been supporting the health and nutrition of our community by delivering programs and services that meet critical needs and result in positive outcomes for mothers and children. These programs include: the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, The Nurse-Family Partnership Program, reproductive care, and the Healthy Beginnings Plus Maternity Program. Together these programs form a maternal health safety net that protects the health of pregnant individuals by connecting them to essential care and support services. The public can RSVP online via the MFHS website: mfhs.org/mothers-day/ Tickets are $50 per adult. Each ticket includes up to two children 12 and under. Additional children under 12 are $10 each. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Maternal and Family Health Services Celebrates 50th Anniversary with New Logo As part of its 50th anniversary of serving those in need, Maternal and Family Health Services (MFHS) launched a new brand identity and website this week. The rebrand is designed to enhance recognition of the organization and array of services it offers, particularly during this difficult period for the thousands of women, children and families who rely on it for care. MFHS began its mission of care in 1971, with a vision to improve the quality of life of families in Northeast PA through preventative healthcare services. “Our 50th anniversary was the perfect time to revisit our logo. MFHS continues to adapt to the needs of our community, and our new logo and website reflect those changes,” said Maria Montoro Edwards, Ph.D., President & CEO of Maternal and Family Health Services. “As we continue to add services such as behavioral healthcare, we wanted to create a logo that is fresh and modern, but still connected to our history of creating a ‘circle of care’ of services for our clients.” The new Maternal and Family Health Services logo is accompanied by a new website, which highlights the services the agency offers the community. The site is designed to be welcoming and easy to navigate. The improved location finder enables the community to search by zip code to find services like the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition program and reproductive health care near them. “We also wanted to rebrand now, during the pandemic, because there is so much need in the community. While our name remains the same, our logo and website are a clearer reminder that MFHS is here to help families struggling during such a difficult time,” commented Jim Schilling, MFHS Development and Communications Officer. “The layered, circular design represents the different people we serve: children, adults, parents, families, and our entire community. Our new website reflects this as well, with an updated look and a focus on easily connecting our community with vital healthcare information.” MFHS encourages the community to see its new look by visiting the new website at: MFHS.org.
