Around the Washington metropolitan area, Tepeyac OB-GYN in
Fairfax is known as a pro-life center. The medical professionals there provide
abortion pill reversals and prenatal care. They’re knowledgeable about natural
family planning and can treat infertility. They provide a range of
gynecological services to women of all ages, and offer financial assistance to patients
in need. Tepeyac is not a run-of-the-mill
medical center, but it’s not the only one with a life-affirming vision at its
core.
On the eve of the 45th annual March for Life in Washington,
medical professionals from around the country gathered to announce the creation
of Pro-Women’s Healthcare Centers (PWHC), a consortium of medical centers that
adheres to a set of standards and values. Its mission is to provide its
patients comprehensive, convenient, compassionate, high-quality medical
services and access to social services.
“The idea of bringing together little pockets of incredibly great
care under a common standard has been a dream and something that the pro-life
movement absolutely needs, especially now,” said Dr. John Bruchalski, founder
of Tepeyac OB-GYN and Divine Mercy Care, the education and fundraising side of
the practice.
Each individual medical center can keep its name, mission and
business model, but will be certified by the PWHC. It’s sort of like a Good
Housekeeping Seal of Approval for the pro-life medical community, explained
Chaney Mullins, development coordinator of Divine Mercy Care and operations
manager for PWHC, which will be headquartered there.
The PWHC’s lengthy list of standards combines certain medical requirements
with supportive measures that care for women beyond their medical needs. For
example, all PWHC healthcare centers must have or be able to refer women
directly to adoption services, mental health counseling and material goods such
as clothing and food. PWHC centers must be open a certain number of hours,
provide aid to pregnant women in need and maintain “beautiful welcoming
spaces.” Medically, among other things, centers must have a lactation follow-up
and depression screening for post-partum women. If a woman comes in for a
pregnancy check-up and no heartbeat is detected, she is given a miscarriage kit,
which allows her to catch the unborn child as it leaves her body.
During the Jan. 18 event, Bruchalski, Mullins, Will Waldron, the
executive director of Divine Mercy, and three women sat on the panel
introducing PWHC: Christine Accurso, practice administrator of Morning Star
OB/GYN in Gilbert, Ariz.; Dede Chism, co-founder/executive director of Bella Natural
Women’s Care in Englewood, Colo.; and Leah Jacobson, founder/CEO of The Guiding
Star Project in Ironton, Minn.
Currently, three healthcare centers have been PWHC-certified,
four are in the process of being certified and 20 are on the list, said
Accurso. While some already met all the standards, the board hopes to work with
clinics or medical pregnancy resource centers who may need support and guidance
to reach the goal of certification.
Several panelists shared stories about how the philosophy of
their centers has impacted their patients. Chism said that one patient who came
frequently for STD screenings said that the compassionate treatment she
received made her visits the best part of her day. Bruchalski shared that a
father threatened to sue because his wife decided to give birth to their
terminally ill child. Later, he wrote a letter thanking Bruchalski for giving
him the chance to meet his son.
Jacobson talked about the many young women she sees who believe
their bodies are broken. She feels that millennial women are beginning to
realize the poor medical treatment they’ve received, especially in regards to
artificial birth control.
“They're recognizing that what’s been sold to them has been chaos,
and they want something that’s ordered and speaks to the truth and goodness of
their bodies. I think that the services we put together point to the health of
(a woman’s) body,” she said.