MATERNAL AND FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES INC
15 PUBLIC SQUARE SUITE 600, WILKES BARRE, PA 18701 www.mfhs.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: AS A PRIVATE NON-PROFIT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ORGANIZATION, MATERNAL AND FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES (MFHS) WORKS TO MEET THE HEALTH AND NUTRITION NEEDS OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA'S WOMEN, CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WITH INFORMATION, EDUCATION, AND QUALITY CARE.FOUNDED IN 1971, MFHS HAS DELIVERED ESSENTIAL AND PREVENTATIVE SERVICES THAT MEET THE EVER-CHANGING NEEDS OF WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND FAMILIES BY PROVIDING INFORMATION, EDUCATION, AND QUALITY CARE. TODAY, WE OVERSEE AND SUPPORT A NETWORK OF HEALTH AND NUTRITION CENTERS IN 16 PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES.SINCE ITS INCEPTION, MFHS HAS RESPONDED TO THE COMMUNITY'S CHANGING NEEDS BY CONTINUALLY DEVELOPING AND ADAPTING INNOVATIVE PROGRAMING THAT IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND FAMILIES. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY TRUE DURING THE 2020 COVID-19 PANDEMIC. MFHS ADAPTED OUR SERVICE DELIVERY METHODS IN ALL OUR PROGRAMS TO BE ABLE TO REMAIN OPEN AND CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR CLIENTS IN ALL 16 PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES.

WE ARE AN INNOVATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND QUALITY CARE. OUR CORE VALUES ARE COMMITMENT TO QUALITY IN OUR WORK AND TO THE PEOPLE WE SERVE, ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS AND OUR DEMAEANOR, RESPECT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITHIN OUR AGENCY AND THE COMMUNITY, EXCELLANCE IN PERFORMANCE AND SERVICE.

WIC NUTRITION PROGRAMTHE WIC NUTRITION PROGRAM HELPS IMPROVE THE LIVES OF AT-RISK WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN 16 PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES BY PROMOTING GOOD NUTRITION HABITS. THROUGH NUTRITION COUNSELING, ELECTRONIC WIC (EWIC) BENEFITS TO PURCHASE HEALTHY FOODS, AND BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT, WE ARE FOSTERING HEALTHIER PREGNANCIES, HEALTHIER BIRTH OUTCOMES, BETTER GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN, AND A REDUCTION IN CHILDHOOD OBESITY. THE SCIENTIFICALLY BASED WIC FOOD PACKAGE REINFORCES THE NUTRITION EDUCATION PROVIDED BY WIC NUTRITIONISTS AND PROVIDES PARTICIPANTS WITH SUPPLEMENTAL FOODS ESSENTIAL FOR HEALTHY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT DURING PREGNANCY, INFANCY, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD. RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THAT WIC PARTICIPATION RESULTS IN IMPROVED COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, REDUCED RATES OF ANEMIA, IMPROVED ACCESS TO HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, AND IMPROVED IMMUNIZATION RATES. A RECENT STUDY PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (JAMA), FOUND THAT WIC PARTICIPATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER PRETERM BIRTH AND INFANT MORTALITY. SPECIFICALLY, THE STUDY FOUND THAT BABIES BORN TO WIC PARTICIPANTS ARE 33 PERCENT LESS LIKELY TO DIE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE.WIC ACTIVELY PROMOTES BREASTFEEDING AS THE OPTIMAL CHOICE FOR INFANT FEEDING AND PROVIDES SUPPORT SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS. NUTRITIONISTS ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT A MOTHER'S DECISION TO BREASTFEED BY PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE MANY BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING, RESOURCES THAT LEAD TO SUCCESSFUL BREASTFEEDING, AND ACCESS TO BREAST PUMPS IF NEEDED. THE MFHS BREASTFEEDING PEER COUNSELOR PROGRAM HELPS IMPROVE BREASTFEEDING RATES BY PAIRING NEW MOMS WITH LOCAL MOTHERS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN WIC TO PROVIDE EDUCATION, SUPPORT, AND SERVE AS A ROLE-MODEL. WITH THE HELP OF MOTHERS WHO HAVE BREASTFED FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS, NEW MOMS ARE SHOWN HOW VALUABLE BREASTFEEDING CAN BE TO THEM AND THEIR BABY'S HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND EMOTIONAL STATE.AN AVERAGE OF 43,084 WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN ARE PROVIDED WIC SERVICES AT 32 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT 16 PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES IN THE MFHS SERVICE NETWORK.OVER $54 MILLION IN ANNUAL GROSS SALES ARE GENERATED FROM REDEEMED WIC CHECKS AT 332 STORES.APPROXIMATELY 63.42 PERCENT OF NEW MOTHERS ENROLLED IN MFHS WIC BREASTFED FOR AN AVERAGE OF 16.43 WEEKS.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICESPUBLICLY FUNDED FAMILY PLANNING IS ONE OF THE MANY CORNERSTONES OF THE LARGER PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY-NET SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN BUILT TO SERVE LOW-INCOME WOMEN AND MEN. IN ADDITION TO TITLE X, SEVERAL OTHER DISCRETIONARY FUNDING PROGRAMS SUPPORT PUBLICLY FUNDED FAMILY PLANNING CENTERS' ABILITY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL STD PREVENTION, TESTING, AND TREATMENT; VITAL BREAST AND CERVICAL EXAMS, AND PRE- AND POST-NATAL CARE, INCLUDING SUPPLEMENTARY FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES. IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MFHS LAUNCHED THE AVAILABILITY OF TELEHEALTH VISITS FOR OUR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CLIENTS. THOSE PATIENTS CAN BE AT HOME, IN THE WORKPLACE, OR TRAVELING AND CAN CONVENIENTLY HAVE A TELEHEALTH VISIT. PATIENTS WITHOUT EASY ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION, WHO LIVE IN RURAL AREAS, OR THOSE WHO HAVE TIME CONSTRAINTS HAVE BETTER ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE THROUGH TELEHEALTH SERVICES. THROUGH MFHS'S HIPAA (HEALTH INFORMATION PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT)- COMPLIANT TELEHEALTH SOFTWARE, PATIENTS WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE HIGH-QUALITY CARE AND PROBLEMS CAN BE IDENTIFIED EARLIER, BEFORE MORE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS ARISE.WE BELIEVE EVERY PERSON, REGARDLESS OF AGE, INSURANCE STATUS, OR ABILITY TO PAY, SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS QUALITY REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE. MFHS OFFERS ACCESSIBLE, CONFIDENTIAL FAMILY PLANNING AND RELATED PREVENTIVE CARE TO WOMEN, MEN, AND TEENS IN 15 PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES. THROUGH TITLE X OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT, WE PRIORITIZE THE NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME AND UNINSURED WOMEN, MEN, AND TEENS BY OFFERING FREE OR AFFORDABLE CARE THROUGH OUR DIRECT SERVICES AND A DIVERSE NETWORK OF CONTRACTORS. IN 2020, 10,023 WOMEN, MEN AND TEENS IN OUR NETWORK RECEIVED REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES AND WERE COUNSELED ON THEIR CONTRACEPTION OPTIONS, AVOIDING 1,880 UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES. IN ADDITION, 5,678 STD TESTS WERE ADMINISTERED TO PENNSYLVANIA WOMEN, MEN, AND TEENS, AVOIDING 60 CASES OF CHLAMYDIA AND 10 CASES OF GONORRHEA.THE MFHS SAFETEENS INITIATIVE, THROUGH A WEBSITE, TEXT LINE AND HOTLINE, PROVIDES ADOLESCENTS ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA WITH THE KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED TO PREVENT UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES AND MAKE INFORMED, HEALTHY CHOICES ABOUT THEIR FUTURES. MFHS CONTINUES TO OFFER REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION TO AT-RISK TEENS THROUGH SUCH PROGRAMS AS SAFESPACE, IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND INTERMEDIATE UNITS.IN 2020, APPROXIMATELY 63,000 ADOLESCENTS SOUGHT INFORMATION ON SAFETEENS.ORG, WHILE SAFETEENS ANSWERS! HEALTH EDUCATORS RESPONDED TO 1,918 TEXT MESSAGE QUESTIONS. IN ADDITION, 243 TEENS WERE PROVIDED WITH IN-PERSON EDUCATION ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH THROUGH THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY EDUCATION PROGRAM AND THE SAFESPACE HEALTH RESOURCE CENTERS IN LACKAWANNA COUNTY AND 1,811 YOUTH PARTICIPATED IN SUCH OUTREACH EVENTS AS HEALTH FAIRS AND GROUP EDUCATION PROVIDED THROUGH THE ABOVE RESOURCES.

NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIPTHE MFHS NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIP (MFHS-NFP) EMPOWERS FIRST-TIME MOTHERS TO DEVELOP CRITICAL PARENTING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT OF HIGHLY TRAINED NURSE HOME-VISITORS. WITH FUNDING FROM PENNSYLVANIA OFFICE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY LEARNING, WE PARTNER AT-RISK MOMS, MANY OF WHOM ARE TEENS, WITH VISITING NURSES WHO PROVIDE HEALTH, PLANNING AND GOAL-SETTING EDUCATION. THROUGH THIS EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM, FIRST-TIME MOTHERS AND FATHERS ARE ABLE TO LEARN HOW TO BUILD HEALTHY FAMILIES FOR A LIFETIME OF HEALTH AND ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY.IN 2020, MFHS-NFP HAS IMPLEMENTED AN AUXILIARY SERVICE LINE - NFP+. THIS PROGRAM ENROLLS PREGNANT MOTHERS WHO HAVE HAD CHILDREN PREVIOUSLY AND HAVE HIGH-RISK FACTORS. FOR 2020, 52 MOTHERS WERE PROVIDED THE NFP+ SERVICE LINE AND 13 BABIES WERE BORN.IN 2020, IN TOTAL, 398 AT-RISK MOTHERS RECEIVED HOME HEALTH EDUCATION AND SUPPORT THROUGH 5,308 COMPLETED HOME-VISITS; DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS, 4,372 VISITS WERE COMPLETED VIA TELEHEALTH/TELECONFERENCE.111 BABIES WERE BORN INTO THE PROGRAM IN 2020, EACH LESS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE ABUSE OR NEGLECT, LANGUAGE DELAYS, AND BEHAVIORAL AND INTELLECTUAL PROBLEMS.

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202111129349300416_public.xml