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About Us
History and Structure of Healthier Moms and
Babies
The Need
In Allen County, the March of Dimes tell us, 13.4% or more than one of every seven babies is born too soon. They have documented an increase in premature deliveries of almost 26% from 1994 to 2004*. These babies are more likely to be neurologically impaired**, and 50% of babies born before the 37th week of pregnant will eventually require special education***.
* last year for which statistics are available
** marchofdimes.com
***The Center for Premature Infant Health and Development at the University of Southern California
History
As a result of the Healthier Beginnings Fetal
Infant Mortality Study conducted from 1995-1997
in Allen County, some very preventable
contributing factors were found. Among the most
disturbing were 1) women encountered barriers to
prenatal care, 2) they did not recognize signs
of preterm labor and warning signs in pregnancy
and 3) families were unfamiliar with SIDS
prevention measures. Some women did not know
they were eligible for Medicaid or were unaware
of resources for sliding fee prenatal care. They
mistook symptoms they should have reported to
their primary care provider as normal
discomforts of pregnancy.
In 1996, St. Joseph Medical Center received a
grant from the Indiana State Department of
Health for a demonstration project to address
the causes of infant mortality. This was the
beginning of Healthier Moms and Babies. In
August, 1997 with the impending sale of the
hospital, Healthier Moms and Babies was
transferred to the Fort Wayne Medical Education
Program, which is itself under the umbrella of
the Fort Wayne Medical Society Foundation. Since
that time St. Joseph Hospital has continued to
provide office space for Healthier Moms and
Babies as an in-kind service.
Current Structure
Healthier Moms and Babies enjoys a collaborative
relationship with several local entities in providing
our services. The Fort Wayne Medical Society
Foundation which holds the 501 c 3 status for us
and other organizations, shares its postal
permit and assists with our printing. The Fort
Wayne Medical Education Program serves as our
fiscal agent, handling accounts receivable and
payable, payroll, provides liability coverage
and refers potential clients. There is a slot on
the Healthier Moms and Babies Advisory Board
reserved for a staff person from the Fort Wayne Medical
Education Program, and the Lutheran Health Network continues to
provide our office space, telephone and internet
service.
How Services Are Provided
Healthier Moms and Babies’ goal is to reduce
infant mortality and improve the outcome of
pregnancy in Allen County by offering health
education and case management services to
low-income, high-risk pregnant women and their
families. Spanish-speaking women are served in
their language and are provided educational
materials in Spanish. Services are provided from
as early in the pregnancy as possible to the
baby’s first birthday, the window of time infant
mortality is calculated.
Each month a nurse or social worker visit the
pregnant woman and educates her on nutrition,
health habits and lifestyle changes necessary
for a healthy baby. In the second trimester, she
learns the signs of preterm labor, warning signs
in pregnancy. She learns about Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome prevention as well as other
injury and illness prevention. After delivery,
she learns about infant nutrition and how to
encourage her baby’s developmental milestones.
Along the way, she is given resource and
referral information about other needs, such as
food, rent, baby equipment and counseling. This
care reduces the number of preterm deliveries,
saves families and the community thousands of
dollars, reduces stress and truly results in
“better babies, one
baby at a time.”
Annual Reports
Please click on the
links below to view the following:
2005 Annual Report
2006 Annual Report
2007 Annual Report
Advisory Board
Shannon Bearman
Programs Manager, Retail Development Division
Do It Best Corp.
shannon.bearman@doitbest.com
 Shannon has been with Do it Best Corp. in Fort
Wayne for nearly 14 years and has participated
in the Do it Best Habitat for Humanity project.
She is a 2006 graduate of Leadership Fort Wayne
and became affiliated with HMB as an intern on
the Advisory Board upon graduating from LFW. She
was recently inducted as a full-fledged advisory
board member. Shannon is on the Advisory Board Event
Committee.
Pam Brookshire
Director of Program Operations
Community Action of Northeast Indiana
pambrookshire@canihelp.org
 Pam is a Certified Family Development Specialist
and a graduate of the National Community Action
Management Academy. She is very involved in
homeless/housing and case management projects in
the county and the state, including the
development of a community-wide Case
Coordination System and co-authored the Family
Development Matrix, an assessment tool and case
management system that has been adopted by all
the CAAs in the state and many organizations in
Allen County. She received the Distinguished
Alumni Award, Division of Public and
Environmental Affairs, Indiana University in
2007. Pam is on the Advisory Board Technology
Committee.
Meg Distler, Executive Director
St Joseph Community Health Foundation
mdistler@stjosephhealthfdn.org
 In addition to her responsibilities at the
Foundation, Meg also helps review federal grants
focusing on healthcare access for vulnerable
populations around the country and is active
with several local organizations including her
church, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the YMCA’s
Activate America, the Junior League of Fort
Wayne, and the Homestead High School Parent
Club. Meg is on the HMB Event Committee and
Board Governance Policy Committee.
Alice Eshelman,
Proprietor
Joseph Decuis Restaurant and Emporium
Aeshelman@josephdecuis.com
 Alice
serves on the board of the Roanoke Chamber of
Commerce heading up their annual Taste of
Roanoke and is co-chair of “Christmas in the Village”.
She is also on the board of the Roanoke
Beautification Foundation and chairs Roanoke’s
Patriotic Pops Concert. In Fort Wayne, Alice
serves on the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Board and
is a new member of Northeast Indiana Corporate
Council. Alice serves on the Advisory Board Event
Committee.
CHAIR
Sr. Carole Langhauser
Vice President of Mission Integration
St Joseph Hospital
clanghauser@lutheran-hosp.com
 Sr.
Carole is a registered nurse who has a graduate certificate in health care
mission leadership and is on the boards of Allen
County Council on Aging, St. Anne Home and
Retirement Community, Ancilla Systems, Inc.
(Hobart, IN), Salvation Army and St. Joseph
Community Health Foundation. She is also in the
Allen County Health Disparity Coalition, Burmese
Health & Wellness Group, Healthcare
Access-Medical Home-Quality Improvement Project
with State Board of Health. Sr. Carole is on the
Advisory Board Technology Committee.
Dr
Deborah McMahan, Commissioner
Fort Wayne-Allen County Dept. of Health
ddebmcmahan@aol.com
copy to
joanna.baker@co.allen.in.us
 Dr. McMahan is an internist who is the
President-elect of Fort Wayne Medical Society
and a board member of the St. Joseph Community
Health Foundation, Super Shot, Medical Advisory
Committee of Neighborhood Health Clinics, Inc.,
Area Healthcare Education Center Advisory Board
and Healthcare Management Advisory Board, Taylor
University. She has received numerous awards
including the IPFW Alumni Citation Award in
2001, Fort Wayne Women’s Bureau; Hidden Heroines
Award in 2002 and the Fort Wayne Boys and Girls
Club Brilliant Woman Award in 2003.
SECRETARY
Kathy Roudebush,
Attorney
kroudebush@comcast.net
 Kathryn
Roudebush is a local attorney who has served in
many volunteer capacities in our community. She
is a twenty year member and past president of
the Junior League, currently serves on the board of
Super Shot and has served in many other
organizations including Erin's House for
Grieving Children, Friends of the Parks, Three
Rivers Food Coop and GRRACE, Inc. Kathy was the
Chair of the HMB Event Committee in 2007 and was
on the Board Governance Committee.
VICE CHAIR
Dr. Phil Tyndall,
OB-GYN, Retired
jptyndall@verizon.net
 Dr.
Phil Tyndall is retired from 33 years clinical
practice of OB-GYN with Fort Wayne OB-GYN and 7
years as Medical Director of Neighborhood Health
Clinics. His board affiliations include Park
Center Behavioral Health, Neighborhood Health
Clinics, American Association of Pro Life OB-GYN
(AAPLOG), past chairman, Indiana Section,
American College of OB-GYN (ACOG), past board
member Fort Wayne Medical Society and
Physician's Health Plan (PHP). He is
also a member of ACOG,
ISMA and AMA.
TREASURER
Eric Whicker, Chief Financial Officer
Fort Wayne Medical Education Program
whicker@fwmep.edu
 Eric is the Chief Financial Officer for the Fort
Wayne Medical Education Program and board member
for Healthier Moms and Babies. He has been
involved in the Healthier Moms and Babies
program since it was incorporated into the a
division of Fort Wayne Medical Education
Program. Eric is on the Advisory Board Technology
Committee.
Kelly Zachrich, Executive Director
Super Shot
zackpack@aol.com
 Kelly
also serves as Director of the Indiana
Immunization Coalition and is on the board of
Fort Wayne Urban League, Advisory Board of the
Child Advocacy Center, PTA Board Member, Study
Circles Facilitator for police recruits, police
command/leaders in the community and local
churches, Board member and past President of the
Junior League of Fort Wayne and State Public
Affairs Chair for the Junior Leagues of Indiana.
Kelly received the Indiana Immunization Advocate
of the Year Award in 2006. She is on the
Advisory Board Technology Committee.
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