HOPE (Healthy Outcomes and Positive Experiences) for Georgia Moms is the name given to the State Maternal Health Innovation and Data Capacity grant awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in September 2022. The name reflects the desire for the program to connect resources and be action-oriented so that all moms survive and thrive in Georgia. To do this, the program purposefully seeks out the experiences of moms, key organizational stakeholders, and clinicians serving people who are giving birth to derive and provide the most appropriate resources needed to achieve this overarching goal.
Mission: To lay a foundation of respectful and equitable care for moms in Georgia to not only survive but thrive
Vision: Healthy outcomes and positive, equitable experiences for all women giving birth in Georgia.
Mary Lou Wilson has over 30 years of nursing leadership, having served as Vice President of Patient Services for five different hospitals. She also has several years of experience as Executive Director of Women’s Services at four different health facilities. During her time out of hospital leadership, she was the Director and Practice Administrator of a Breast Center of Excellence. She has been with Northeast Georgia Health System for 5 years and during that time has worked to develop strong partnerships with medical staff of Women and Children’s and other clinical areas, the community of Gainesville and Braselton, GA, and service lines that crosswalk care for women of all ages. In 2022, she co-authored the $5 million federal HRSA grant to establish a Maternal Cardiac Program at NGHS. She is currently Executive Sponsor of the HOPE for Georgia Moms program.
Heidi Ehrenreich, PhD, MPH, has worked in health research for the past fifteen years, with a focus on health literacy and shared decision-making. She received her graduate degrees at the University of Georgia’s School of Public Health in Health Promotion and Behavior. As a post-doc at the CDC, Dr. Ehrenreich supported grantees in implementing and evaluating falls prevention programming for older adults, collaborating with state health agencies, physicians and community centers. Following the fellowship, she worked in Germany in evidence-based medicine to develop patient information and research programming for persons with disabilities and older adults under a grant from the Federal Ministry of Health. Since joining Northeast Georgia Health System, Dr. Ehrenreich has supported investigator-initiated research and is Project Director of HOPE for Georgia Moms. She is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) and a Certified Professional for clinical research (ACRP-CP).
Bridgette Schulman has over 19 years of experience as Labor/Delivery nurse, Nurse Educator and as Clinical Practice Specialist for Women/Children’s Services. She led the implementation of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) Postpartum Hemorrhage 3-State Collaborative from 2014-2016; is the hospital representative in the Georgia Perinatal Quality Collaborative (GaPQC); revised the AWHONN Obstetric Patient Safety: OB Emergencies Workshops; and serves as an instructor trainer. In 2022, she authored a $5 million federal grant to pilot the Maternal Cardiac Program at Northeast Georgia Health System as part of State Maternal Health Innovation Program. Dr. Schulman has Bachelor’s degrees in both Psychology and Nursing, Masters in Nursing Education, and PhD in Nursing with a focus on Interdisciplinary Health. She has professional certifications in Inpatient Obstetric (RNC-OB) and Electronic Fetal Monitoring (C-EFM) and is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS).
Maribel Luviano is the Maternal Health Innovation Program Coordinator out of Northeast Georgia Health System. Prior to this role, she has worked as a pharmacy technician, rehab registrar, and office coordinator in Diabetes Education and Nursing Administration. Maribel received her Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Services and Informatic Administration from the University of North Georgia. Fluent in Spanish, she is passionate about helping others and reducing health disparities by raising awareness in both Hispanic and non-Hispanic communities.
Dr. Maya Watford is a clinical pharmacist, who has a B.S. in Biology from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency training at Wellstar Cobb Hospital before beginning as a Cardiology Care Pharmacist at Georgia Heart Institute at Northeast Georgia Health System in 2023. She has also worked for 3 years as an Inpatient Pharmacy Intern at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital prior to her residency. Dr. Watford is an active member of national and Georgia chapters of the Society of Health System Pharmacists.