CHAPTER REPORT TO THE BOARD 2017 Q1 NEW YORK Chapter Info •
6 Chairs (Chapter Chair, Co-Chair, Medical Chair, Media Chair, Outreach Chair, and Events Chair)
•
34 Chapter members
•
Monthly meetings held
•
Chapter newsletter sent out a few times per year
Fundraising Efforts: •
Lets Not Be Still NY 5Ks: 2 events in 2 locations for the past 2 years raising over $130,000 last year with 600 participants, and currently striving to raise over $100,000 this year (5Ks will be held on 4/22/17 and 4/29/17), to date over $60,000 raised. Currently there are 353 participants registered.
Outreach to area hospitals and medical personnel: •
Have developed ongoing/regular relationships with 2 hospitals (Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, NY and North Shore Hospital in Long Island), have held multiple meetings at these hospitals in order to inform medical and support staff about the Star Legacy Foundation and all that we can offer.
•
Met with Putnam Hospital in Carmel, NY and developing a relationship there.
•
Provided all hospital partners with handmade baby gifts to build goodwill.
•
Provided resources to Caremount Medical (formerly Mount Kisco Medical Group) OBGYN practices in Mount Kisco, NY and Carmel, NY.
•
Compiled a professional Introductory Packet to inform area hospitals and medical providers of the supports, resources, and services that the Star Legacy Foundation can offer
•
Created Partner Communication Guidelines - chapter chairs pilot tested guidelines in initial hospital meetings, then trained 2 chapter members to conduct future partner meetings on their own using this methodology.
•
Upcoming Hospital Meetings Scheduled: - Invited to present at grand rounds at Northern Westchester Hospital in June - Meeting with Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Newark, New Jersey in May - In the process of scheduling meetings with multiple hospitals in the New Jersey area, Winthrop Hospital (Long Island), New York Presbyterian (New York City), and Greenwich Hospital (Greenwich, CT)
•
NY Metro representatives attended and presented at the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey (20+ people in attendance representing several hospitals and grief support groups)
Facebook Page •
The NY Metro Chapter facebook page provides almost daily postings, including items such as relevant stillbirth research, articles, support services, and stillbirth stories
Media Presence •
Multiple news articles have been written in multiple sources about the Star Legacy Foundation and the NY Metro Chapter, including Pix11 Evening News, USA Today, NY Post, The Journal News, Danbury News Times, Lewisboro Ledger
•
Raised awareness on social media with #MarksMiles4Babies marathon run in November
Resource Guide •
Compiled an extensive local resource guide for families in the NY Metro area
Peer Companion Program •
November 2016 Lindsey Wimmer trained 15 volunteers to be peer companions; there are currently 9 active volunteers participating in being a peer companion
•
Peer Companion supports currently being provided to North Shore Hospital and Northern Westchester Hospital
•
Peer Companion Program will be offered as a resource at any upcoming meetings with medical providers and support staff
Planning Educational Opportunities •
Lindsey Wimmer will be presenting at the Maternal Health Education Day in September for the staff of Northern Westchester Hospital
•
Retreat: Lindsey Wimmer will be facilitating a retreat for the staff of North Shore Hospital in September
•
Lindsey Wimmer will also be presenting at Healing Through Hope Conference in Montclair, New Jersey (part of the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey) in May
NY Metro Representatives will be attending the Stillbirth Summit •
Hilary Hughes and Tyler Hughes, Bobbie Cohlan, Samantha and Deep Banerjee, and Susan Durante will be attending from the NY Metro Chapter
•
The NY Metro chapter has sponsored 4 nurses and 1 Public Health Professional from the area to attend the Summit
•
Designated chapter members to lead Legislation efforts in NY (Elaina Vietz) & NJ (Christine Chang)
Legislation
Branding/Marketing •
Rebranded chapter logo and documents (Intro Packet, flyers) to match new branding scheme
•
Assisted SLF National in creating new Letterhead and Word Doc Templates with the new branding scheme
•
Provided input on revised brochures (Parenting in Pregnancy), and suggested ideas for and provided input on new brochures (Parenting in Pregnancy One-Page Summary, Where to Begin When Your Baby Has Died, Providing Comfort When a Baby Dies)
Grandparent Focus Group •
NY Metro Chapter grandparents have volunteered to participate in a focus group that Dr O’Leary will be conducting in July regarding how grandparents grieve
Cross Chapter Communication •
Provided consultation to new Star Legacy Foundation chapters forming
OHIO The Ohio Chapter of the Star Legacy Foundation, founded in January, is already busy with lots of programs and projects! The Chapter is planning a Perinatal Bereavement Conference that will be held in Columbus, focusing on current research and cultural care and featuring a parent panel. This spring, the Chair of the Chapter, Heather Johnston Welliver, will be a keynote speaker at a Bereaved Mother's Day event for Cornerstone of Hope, a center for grieving families. The Chapter also continues to plan the 2nd annual Lydie's Loop: Steps against Stillbirth that will be held on October 7, 2017 in Columbus. Last year's event was a great success and the Chapter looks forward to continuing to build community for grieving families and promote awareness about perinatal loss. SAN DIEGO The San Diego Chapter was made "official" in January of this year! The group has been meeting monthly since September of last year and is excited to move forward with furthering the goals of Star Legacy Foundation. Chair Susan Valoff and Vice Chair Jill Mason are working to help the San Diego group establish priorities and begin its initial projects. One of our first steps is building a database which will include local professionals, loss family members, and others affected by stillbirth. We plan on developing an online newsletter to send to these individuals and organizations, and will publicize Star Legacy's Pregnancy Research Registry when it becomes active. We are also planning on developing a Face Book page for our chapter.
We have also talked with the leadership of Empty Cradle, an established non-profit in San Diego County providing bereavement services for families affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and infant loss, about partnering to distribute Star Legacy's new educational materials to professionals and families. We have also talked about jointly producing a provider education event in San Diego.
We were excited to have Lindsey at our last meeting in March where we discussed ideas for our initial Champion Event to be held in late summer/early fall. Some ideas we are exploring include an indoor roller skating event, a chili cook-off, or a fall carnival. We plan on talking with Champion Event coordinator Amy to utilize her ideas and expertise.
Susan will be attending the Stillbirth Summit in June and is looking forward to meeting members of the Star Legacy Board, as well as learning more about current research efforts in the area of perinatal loss. The San Diego Chapter members are committed to building awareness around the need for stillbirth research and prevention efforts, and recruiting more individuals in San Diego who can help with Star Legacy Foundation's mission. -- Susan Valoff, LCSW