OurLegacyToday Summer2015
Legacy Community Health Services Board of Directors Bryan Hlavinka Chairperson Beth Bruce Vice-Chairperson Jani C. Lopez Secretary Glenn Bauguss Treasurer Glenna Pierpont At-Large / Executive Committee Sehba Ali Beryl Basham Tony Bravo George Burch Dr. Abigail Caudle Victor Cordova, Jr. Cyndy Garza Roberts Amanda Goodie Alex Jessett Alton LaDay Jay Sears Lauren Soliz
Legacy Expands Prenatal Care with New Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic Legacy’s mission to drive healthy change in our communities requires listening to the needs of our neighborhoods. We’ve done just that at our Legacy Southwest clinic with the recent addition of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic, headed by Dr. Carlos Carreño and Dr. Sophia Burns. Expectant mothers with high risk pregnancies often suffer conditions like high blood pressure, lupus, kidney disease, or autoimmune disease. In many cases, they have previously miscarried or delivered their baby prematurely. Gestational diabetes occurs in 5-10% of pregnancies and more often in Hispanics, a majority of Southwest’s patient population. These pregnancies require closer monitoring and more frequent doctor’s appointments. Dr. Carlos Carreño is board certified in Maternal Fetal Medicine, and it’s his job to review the imaging results from the three new high-definition ultrasound machines in the clinic. He performs the patient consultations and provides specialized medical care. Dr. Burns, board certified in Obstetrics, works with Dr. Carlos Carreño and Dr. Carreño to coordinate support between Legacy’s Dr. Sophia Burns entire health care team to provide complete care. “The main goal is to have healthy mothers and babies,” says Dr. Burns. “We needed to keep the patients at Legacy. Before, if we were treating a high risk patient, we referred her out. And sometimes, she didn’t have the time or ability to go to other places for her appointments.” Dr. Carreño agrees that Legacy’s one-stop prenatal care shop is more convenient. “This is a patient population without many resources. Some don’t have reliable transportation. For those who do, parking in the medical center can be very expensive. So, if we provide all these services here, our patients are very happy and appreciative.” Once a patient is identified as high risk, Drs. Burns and Carreño lay out a treatment plan with a multidisciplinary team. It may include a nutritionist or diabetes educator for targeted interventions for the patient. “I think every patient deserves the best care I can give to her, and I learned a long time ago that the only way to make a difference is one patient at a time,” says Dr. Carreño. “So, you give your best, 100% on every patient that you see, to keep them happy and make sure they understand what’s going on.” Looking ahead, there’s more room for expansion. “We’ve just opened our doors and we’re already out of space,” says Dr. Burns. “We’re doing a great job within the confines we One of the clinic’s three new have, but we can do so much more. We’re hoping to grow to do even greater things.” HD ultrasound machines
John C. Sheptor
Legacy Community Health Endowment Board of Directors Claire Cormier Thielke Chairperson James A. Reeder, Jr. Secretary Mike Holloman Treasurer Michael Alexander Tripp Carter Joshua L. Espinedo Melanie Gray Bryan Hlavinka Melissa Mithoff Monsour Taghdisi
Legacy Supporter Spotlight: Monsour Taghdisi Owner, Prestige Builders Back in the 80s, when AIDS was a new, mysterious, and deadly illness, many health care providers were just as afraid of it as the people who were sick. That’s when Monsour Taghdisi first heard about a little clinic on Westheimer. “I had a friend with AIDS, and all the hospitals and clinics around were afraid to touch him,” he says. “A nurse directed us to the Montrose Clinic, and the people there calmed us down and made us feel at ease. They were the ones leading AIDS treatment at that time.” That first connection with compassionate care began a long-time commitment to Legacy. Honored once for this commitment and twice a chair of Legacy events, Taghdisi is now back to co-chair the 13th annual Legacy Luncheon with Lucinda Loya. Monsour Taghdisi and his son, Cameron “There are over 800 charitable events a year in Houston; that’s a lot of groups asking for much-needed funds. However, Legacy is an established non-profit, ‘for purpose’ organization that continues to fulfill its promise of better health care for more and more of our fellow Houstonians. My donations to Legacy are a proven investment.” What’s been especially important to Taghdisi is the expansion of Legacy’s pediatric services. As the proud parent of 4 ½-yearold Cameron, he says, “there’s nothing worse than feeling helpless when your children are suffering. They look up to us to make their world better and to ease their pain. Legacy is empowering parents to fulfill that essential role by providing health care to our children. Hopefully, generations will change as a result of what we’ve done.”