Healthcare Reform and the Impact on Pregnancy Centers

The following article is reprinted with permission from Care Net, our National Affiliate Organization.

Care Net is extremely concerned about taxpayer-funded abortion in the healthcare reform bill and what it means for our nation's pregnancy centers. Not only does the bill make the work of pregnancy centers more difficult, it also makes our work more critical than ever before.

Specifically, the Executive Order to be issued by President Obama does not adequately address the following pro-life concerns of pregnancy centers. In addition, federal courts will enforce what the law says, not the executive order, and it can be overturned at any moment without a vote.

1. Research has shown that if abortions are covered in a public healthcare plan, they will increase! According to Planned Parenthood's Guttmacher Institute, abortion will significantly increase among Medicaid recipients if covered by public funding. Care Net's own research indicates that the marketing of "free services" at pregnancy centers is a draw to abortion-vulnerable women. So if abortion is covered in healthcare plans, how can we continue to attract this at-risk population with our free services?


2. This bill provides no adequate provision for the rights of conscience of pro-life healthcare professionals. When these rights are trumped, pro-life individuals will leave or simply not enter the field of medicine. So, where will pregnancy centers find like-minded doctors and nurses to provide free ultrasounds, prenatal care, or STD testing? They simply won't exist.


3. We also anticipate that if abortions increase because they're free and federally-subsidized in healthcare plans, there will be a huge increase in the demand for post-abortion recovery programs, which are offered in pregnancy centers. Our movement will have to greatly expand our services in this area.

The BAD NEWS: Congress and the President have supported a bill that allows for the expansion of abortion and the provision of taxpayer-funded abortion.

The GOOD NEWS: You can make a difference in protecting life by supporting the work of Care Net and your local pregnancy center. Help extend life-affirming, compassionate support to more than 370,000 people every year! Also, get involved in Care Net's Inspire Life campaign to help grow the number of Americans who are pro-life (now 51 percent)!

Senior Project Benefits PCC

Mallory Rutan, a senior at Columbus North High School, chose Pregnancy Care Center to be the beneficiary of her senior project. Mallory made more than 20 baby blankets and sold them at a craft fair at her church, Flintwood Wesleyan in Columbus. In addition, she volunteered nearly 20 hours of community service to the center helping with sorting material donations and putting together pregnancy informational packets for our clients.

Through her project, Mallory raised $300 to benefit the PCC. We are so encouraged to see young people excited to support God's work through the Pregnancy Care Center.

Picture: Judy Snow, (left) Bartholomew County Center Director, accepts the $300 Mallory Rutan (right) raised through her senior project.

Small Groups. Big Difference.

Many cell groups, small groups and Sunday school classes make gifts to local organizations; perhaps yours would be interested in supporting the Pregnancy Care Center.

The process is simple enough: Your group's gift could be a designated amount, or you could take up a collection over a period of weeks and send it along. Either way, your gift will make a difference in touching hearts and saving lives.

This is also a great opportunity to introduce friends to the ministry of Pregnancy Care Center. Our staff would love the opportunity to share the mission of the center and answer any questions your group might have at your next meeting. Call Teresa at 812-378-4114 or toll free 866-510-5067 for more information or to schedule a speaker. Your cell group or Sunday school class could have a big impact on the future of this ministry.

Senior Project Raises $780

We are so grateful for Columbus East Senior, Morgan Dilling, who chose to do her senior project for the Pregnancy Care Center. Her idea was to organize a "Cutest Baby Photo Contest" with all the proceeds raised going to the PCC.

Thirty people registered their children to one of two categories: newborn to 12 months or 12 months-3 years old. Then the community voted for their favorite with money at the Columbus Resale Event Saturday. Through the $5 registration fee and voting, Morgan raised $780 to benefit the ministry of the Pregnancy Care Center.

Many thanks to Morgan for all her many hours of hard work and to all the families who participated and voted. And congratulations to the winners! Eric and Amanda Kerkhof's son Oliver won for the newborn to 12 month division while Brady Steele's son Keigan won for the 12 month-3 year old division.

My Life as a Pregnancy Care Center Volunteer

My volunteer days at PCC are always the highlight of my week. Our shift always begins with prayer and praise for all the things that we may encounter that day in our center. The prayer time is a great help to get me from work-mode or mom-mode to thinking of bigger things. We don’t know what kinds of situations will come thru the door at any given time.

I attended the Institute in Limited Obstetrical Ultrasound for Nurses training in Fredericksburg VA, in September. It was a comprehensive and fast-paced introduction in limited ultrasound where we spent two days in the classroom and one day in clinic getting hands-on experience. Once I complete 60-75 supervised scans, I’ll be certified to perform all the ultrasound scans at our center.

We began doing ultrasound scans at the Jackson County Center in March of 2009 and do them once a month. I usually meet with the client before she gets the ultrasound to get the consent forms signed and take a short medical history. Then, we go into the ultrasound room where Linda Long, the PCC’s Nurse Manager, assists me in doing the scans.

I love to watch the faces of the girls as they finally see the life within them. Their mothers and significant others are usually with them also and you can just see their faces light up when they recognize the outline of the baby. They get especially excited if the baby kicks while we are watching. Our ultrasound is normally the first time they have seen their baby and thus for many of them is the moment this pregnancy is “real” to them. The positive test is hard for them to come to terms with frequently, but to see the baby is the moment reality sets in. Even in the worst of circumstances that a client may be in, the miracle of life, at the moment they see that tiny baby, gives them hope. Our machine also has the capability to let them hear the heart beat and they love that. They so frequently have denied that there is a beating heart in there because society has led them to believe its “just tissue”. The ultrasound is invaluable in our ministry. It’s always great to hear girls say they wouldn’t have their baby if it wasn’t for Pregnancy Care Center or just for them to come by to show us their baby.

I also enjoy teaching and getting to know our clients. It’s nice to take someone back to a counseling room, help them to relax and allow them to share their problem or concern. They may have never have had someone offer to pray for them in their entire life and they are touched. Many of our clients have no one they feel like they can trust or anyone who really cares to listen to them. They feel guilty and unworthy of help and don’t even believe restoration is possible. So many of our clients feel hopeless when they come in, so when we’re able to help them gain a new perspective on their situation, maybe give them material assistance like diapers and formula to help relieve some of their burden, and then finally to pray for them, it is amazing. They frequently tear up and just say “Thank you so much” for listening.

Connie Adams

Cutest Baby Photo Contest Benefits PCC

Morgan Dilling, a Senior at Columbus East High School, is organizing a Cutest Baby Photo Contest for her Senior Project with the funds raised benefiting the Pregnancy Care Center.There are two categories you can enter: newborn to 12 months or 12 months-three years old.

To participate you will need to send the Pregnancy Care Center information about yourself (your name, address, phone number, name and age of child), pay the $5 registration fee and submit a picture labeled with your child's name. You can send this information to the Pregnancy Care Center at PO Box 2215, Columbus, IN 47202. It must be received by Wednesday, March 3.

Voting will take place at the Kids Resale taking place at Northside Middle School in Columbus on Saturday, March 6 from 8 a.m.-Noon. The winner will be determined by the most votes received. To vote for your favorite, bring money! One cent is equivalent to one vote. The baby with the most votes, wins! Winners will be announced at 1 p.m. and will receive a gift basket with a Target gift card along wtih other age appropriate prizes. You do not have to be present to win.

*All pictures will be returned