Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Makes $3 Million Gift to Guthrie Clinic's Rural Maternity Initiative
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation has made a $3 million gift to the Guthrie Clinic, headquartered in Sayre, Pennsylvania, supporting the health care organization’s system-wide Maternity Care Oasis initiative.
The mission of the initiative is to bridge the gap in maternity care by providing a lifeline of compassionate, accessible, and expert maternity services to underserved communities with low to moderate access to maternity care. The gift will help secure and support a key feature of the new program, a mobile maternity unit, which will serve as an oasis of hope and care in regions where maternal health care is scarce, offering comprehensive prenatal care, childbirth support, postpartum guidance, and education. Additionally, Guthrie will deploy care teams comprised of midwives, doulas, and other community workers across Guthrie’s service area in New York to assist with community outreach, education, and essential maternity care services.
“We are enormously grateful to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for this groundbreaking, momentum-generating gift,” said Dr. Edmund Sabanegh, President and CEO of the Guthrie Clinic. “We know that rural communities face significant challenges in accessing comprehensive maternity care services, leading to disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. We are determined to play a role in addressing these issues, and through their generosity, the Cabrini Health Foundation is partnering with us to make an enduring difference for those who depend on us for this care.”
The Maternity Care Oasis initiative is part of a bold multi-million-dollar system-wide investment that includes crucial infrastructure improvements in outpatient services, behavioral health, emergency care, and more. New training and education programs will ensure an enriched future with the best and brightest clinicians recruited.
“We are dedicated to nurturing the well-being of expectant mothers, ensuring their journey into motherhood is safe, healthy, and supported,” said Dr. J. Manuel Arreguin, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Guthrie Clinic. “The Maternity Care Oasis Initiative aligns beautifully with the values of Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, who dedicated her life to serving those in need and providing support to the most vulnerable in
our community. The Foundation’s gift, and their investment in our initiative, is a perfect collaboration and families throughout our service area will benefit.”
“Addressing New York’s immediate and long-term health needs requires a comprehensive approach. Over the past five years we have worked to get funding into communities across the state struggling with heightened health inequities. While responding to urgent needs, we’ve also focused on building strong community relationships, funding long-term infrastructure and pursuing community input so that our grantmaking efforts are as impactful and sustainable as possible for New York’s underserved communities both today and for years to come,” said Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo, CEO of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.
“Our goal is to become a national leader in rural health care and better serve the needs of our patient population across an expansive geographic area,” said Dr. Sabanegh. “With this initiative, and with the help of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, we will strive to empower mothers, promote healthy births, and reduce maternal health disparities, making a positive impact on families and communities.”