- Connecting area professionals to care for moms and babies -
Education opportunity:
- Prenatal & Infant Care Webinar -
Wednesday, December 1, 2021 | 10:00am
Addiction, Opioid Use Disorder,
and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome 
Identifying the Warning Signs of Addiction in Your Clients

Dr. Sarah Turner will share how care providers can identify the warning signs of addiction in their pregnant clients, to help assure they access appropriate care.

Dr. Turner practices full-scope family medicine, but her focus is on women's health, obstetrics, and pediatric care. She has a clinic for pregnant women with substance use disorder (the Monarch Clinic) - this is her passion and where she states her heart truly lies. Dr. Turner's advanced training allows her to provide high-risk and surgical obstetrics services, substance abuse in pregnancy, high-risk neonatal care, and women's health.

She is married and has two delightful little boys who constantly keep her on her toes and challenge her parenting skills daily. In her spare, time she likes to sleep, because, with work, teaching, and family, she doesn't have spare time! She is delighted to share her experiences on everything from pre-conception through the end of the postpartum period (and occasionally beyond!).
New App for Moms with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and Babies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)

McMillen Health will introduce their newly launched app “Healthy Tomorrow.” In 2018, McMillen Health conducted a community needs assessment called In Her Words to find out how the organization could contribute to solving the opioid epidemic. Staff had honest and eye-opening conversations with women who have opioid use disorder (OUD) and who were pregnant or had recently had a baby. They also talked to professionals serving women with OUD and babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

What they discovered: Accessible educational resources are critically needed and virtually non-existent.

Women overwhelmingly asked for educational content in video format (no more brochures to toss out!) that they could easily access from their phones. These findings were the inspiration needed to develop Healthy Tomorrow, a mobile app with educational videos geared towards pregnant or recently pregnant women. The Healthy Tomorrow app is a five-year project, with the first year of development focusing on women with OUD and their babies with NAS. Over the next four years, additional video content will be developed focusing on prenatal health, safe sleep, tobacco use during pregnancy, nutrition, and breastfeeding.

During the webinar, McMillen representatives will share insights into how this app might help care providers better assist their families struggling with OUD and NAS.

Nicole Fairchild, Executive Director of McMillen Health, and Megan Wilkinson, Director of Curriculum Development, will present their new app that provides vital, effective preventive health education to new and expecting mothers with OUD, to address the opioid epidemic's high rates of maternal and infant mortality. Healthy Tomorrow, designed with input from advisory groups of the target audience and professionals who work with the population, covers topics such as neonatal abstinence syndrome, postpartum health, staying in recovery, support networks, working with the Department of Child Services, and more. The app is a five-year project to educate on prenatal health, safe sleep, tobacco use during pregnancy, nutrition, and breastfeeding.
- Connecting area professionals to care for moms and babies -
Education opportunity:
- Prenatal & Infant Care Webinar -
Friday, December 10, 2021 | 10:00am
Vaccination, Pregnant Women & Children
Two local physicians will share the latest information about the COVID-19 vaccine. They will cover the safety and efficacy of the vaccines in both pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and children. The presentation will help care providers and those within the Prenatal & Infant Care Network more precisely discuss with their clients the opportunities and concerns associated with COViD-19 vaccines. All of these physicians also serve on the Medical Advisory Board of Healthier Moms & Babies.
Eric Shoemaker, DO (Family Provider)

Dr. Eric Shoemaker is a family medicine doctor who received his medical degree from University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine and has been in practice for five years with Parkview Health.
Dr. Lucia Fouts (OB-GYN)

Dr. Lucia Fouts is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and earned her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. After completing her OB-GYN residency at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, she joined Women’s Health Advantage in 2003. She is the OB chair for Dupont Hospital, has been an Assistant Clinical Professor of OB-GYN at the Indiana University School of Medicine Fort Wayne campus, and is now a member of the Laborist Programs at Dupont and Lutheran Hospitals.
- Connecting area professionals to care for moms and babies -
PIC Network Partner Education opportunity:
- Parkview Health Webinar -
Friday, November 19, 2021 | 9:00am - 10:30am
Advocacy Training for Maternal Child Health 2021
Do you want to better advocate for women, infants, and families in our community? Footprints Fort Wayne, the community action wing of the Allen County Fetal Infant Mortality Review, is pleased to announce Rima Shahid from Women4Change Indiana will be conducting an advocacy training. Stakeholders serving this population are encouraged to attend.
Objectives/Topics

  • 2019 & 2020 Maternal Infant Related Bills in the Statehouse and their status (were they signed into law, did they die in committee, why didn't they advance, etc.)
  • How can you advocate for change?
  • Lobbying VS Advocacy. Types of Advocacy
  • Basic Structure of the State Government
  • How does an individual advocate affect and make change?

Please plan on joining the meeting 5 minutes early.
Steering Committee
 A ministry sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ.