Dear Friends and Supporters,

 

After deep reflection, difficult conversations, and careful consideration, the Board of Directors and I have made the painful decision to shutter The Perinatal Unit for Systems of Health (P.U.S.H.), effective December 31, 2026. What began as an idea in 2015 and became an organization in 2020 has been one of the greatest honors and most demanding journeys of my life.

 

P.U.S.H. grew from experiences that changed me personally. During my first pregnancy, I navigated a high-risk journey and benefited from a maternal fetal medicine physician whose knowledge and vigilance helped protect my life and the life of my unborn child. After my second child was born, I learned months later that a procedure had been performed during my C-section without my or my husband’s knowledge or consent. I came to understand both the reassurance of skilled, attentive care and the harm of being excluded from decisions about your own body. Those experiences left me asking what happens to women and families who lack the information, resources, advocacy, or support they need at critical moments.

 

In 2015, I began developing the concept that would become P.U.S.H.: a model designed to strengthen maternal health and help transform the standard of care by preparing Community Health Workers (CHWs) for specialized areas such as perinatal health and complementing their support with doula services. I believed then, and believe even more strongly now, that families deserve trusted guidance, continuity, and a meaningful voice throughout pregnancy, birth, postpartum recovery, high-risk care, and the NICU journey.

 

When we officially launched in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, we could not have anticipated the challenges ahead. Like many organizations, we had to build, adapt, and serve amid extraordinary uncertainty, shifting priorities, and limited resources while advancing a necessary approach within systems that do not always make room for innovation. Still, we persevered because our supporters, partners, donors, volunteers, board members, staff, contractors, clients, and community believed in the work. Everything we accomplished was made possible by you.

 

Building an organization from the ground up requires sacrifices that are not always visible: long days and late nights, personal financial strain, time away from family, difficult decisions, and the responsibility of carrying a mission while building the infrastructure needed to sustain it. It also requires people whose skills, values, timing, and commitment align with the work. Everyone who contributed to P.U.S.H., from its earliest days through the years that followed, will always hold a meaningful place in our story. I am especially grateful that, during the latter years, we assembled the operational team we had long needed. Their talent, care, and dedication brought greater clarity and strength to our purpose.

 

Unfortunately, continued budget cuts, funding instability, and the capacity required to operate responsibly exceeded what we could sustain. Passion, relevance, and hard work remain essential, but they cannot replace the stable resources and infrastructure an organization needs to endure. Closing P.U.S.H. does not diminish the importance of its mission; it is a responsible acknowledgment that we can no longer carry the work forward in its current organizational form.

 

This journey taught our team and me more than I can fully express about perseverance, leadership, partnership, timing, humility, and the courage to keep refining a vision when the path is difficult. It also affirmed that meaningful work is never built alone. Every family who trusted us, every person who shared our work, every partner who opened a door, every donor who invested, and every team member who gave their time and talent helped make P.U.S.H. possible.

 

Although the P.U.S.H. journey is coming to a close, the work is not. My commitment to expanding and strengthening the CHW workforce, integrating doula support, and helping women and families navigate complex maternal and perinatal health experiences remains unchanged. What began with P.U.S.H. is already pointing toward a new chapter and, God willing, I will share more when the time is right. As that path takes shape, I look forward to recharging, continuing to grow, and preserving the bonds with trusted colleagues who stood firm through difficult seasons, as well as those whose journeys led them elsewhere but whose belief in our mission never faded. I remain determined to honor their trust, loyalty, and commitment.

 

To our community: thank you for believing in us, standing with us, and helping us move forward through every challenge. Whatever comes next will carry the lessons we learned, the relationships we built, and the purpose that brought us together. P.U.S.H. will always hold a meaningful place in our shared story, and the mission we began together will continue beyond the life of the organization.

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With appreciation,

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-J

 

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Upcoming CHW Training:

In our commitment to fulfilling our program goals and obligations, we will be releasing a CHW training series this October. Additional details are forthcoming and will be shared on our social media site.

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Stay Connected for What’s Ahead

 

 

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