CARE
A Message for You!
Greetings,
GA Wellness has been serving the underserved and changing lives for more than three decades Over 22,000 women have walked through the doors feeling hopeless and unable to cope with their current circumstances! We have come alongside her where she is and offered her the support she needs to make healthy decisions. GA Wellness has been successful in doing this by expanding our medical services over the years by adding full panel STI testing and treatment, Well-Woman Exams, Prenatal Care, and High-Risk Pregnancy Care. It is now time to embark on even further expansion so that we can provide even more support for women. The Reach More, Care More Campaign will fill in the gaps in our current services by adding pediatric care, a fatherhood program, mental and behavioral health services, a maternity home, and a pregnancy loss program We will Reach More families and Care More deeply!
GA Wellness has outgrown its current facility and has purchased a new building to provide these needed services to women and their families. Rent prices continue to rise, taking necessary funds away from patient care. Now that GA Wellness has purchased a building, renovations and program expansion preparations are moving forward
Our legal entity, The Georgia Wellness Group, Inc., allows us to continue to grow and place more entities in our framework, and strategically places us in a position for amazing growth! As our economy changes, a growing number of families are in need of support This often translates into the need for housing or for a continuum of care for their family. This enables us to carry out the same mission we have had since we were originally founded in 1990 The mission is to provide compassionate and holistic care to empower our community to achieve optimal health
GA Wellness wants to be the one place where women can feel supported and cared for on a level they have never experienced Won’t you join us in setting up these families for a successful life?!
For Women and Children,
Robin Mauck Chief Executive Officer
Randy Brunson Board Chair
At GA Wellness:
GA Wellness has been serving the community since 1990
GA Wellness is the ONLY non-profit in Gwinnett County offering free and low-cost Prenatal Care
GA Wellness is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare. This accreditation testifies to GA Wellness’s dedication to safe, high-quality patient health care by meeting over 500 directives
GA Wellness turns no one away no matter their demographic, socioeconomic status, or inability to pay
GA Wellness offers the following services:
Pregnancy Verification
Options Counseling
Full Panel STI Testing & Treatment
Well-Woman Exams
Full Prenatal Care
High-Risk Pregnancy Care
Optimal Health Coaching
Pregnancy & Parenting Education
Limited Mental & Behavioral Health Services
Healthy Relationships Education in Local
Schools & Community Organizations
GA Wellness has the following Programs:
Medical
Thrive (Education Program)
Empowered (Youth Education)
In Georgia: Did You Know?
Georgia's Maternal Mortality rate is one of the highest In the Nation
19% of women of childbearing age (15-44) are uninsured.
Georgia's pre-term birth rate, infant mortality rate, teen birth rate, and rate of low birthweight are all above the national average
The infant mortality rate for Georgia (7 2) is higher than the national average (5 79)
In 2021, 58% of GA communities did not have enough mental health providers to serve their residents.
18% of Georgians are experiencing at least one mental illness (over 1 4 Million people)
314,000 adults have serious thoughts of suicide
Approximately 880,000 adults with a mental illness have not received treatment
Every woman deserves a healthy pregnancy and every baby, a healthy start.
REACHING MORE
Georgia is one of the states in the nation with the highest maternal mortality rate Access to quality healthcare is a barrier for women of low socioeconomic status The inability to pay for prenatal care is often a factor for a woman choosing to forgo prenatal care and show up at the emergency room to have their baby, often preterm. 15.4% of pregnant women in Georgia are not receiving adequate prenatal care. This means they received care in the 5th month or later or attended less than 50% of the appropriate number of office visits for the infant’s gestational age. Infant death is on the rise in Gwinnett County. In 2016, the infant mortality rate in Gwinnett County was 7.8, which is higher than the national infant mortality rate of 5 9 Of these deaths, 30% (or 120) are related to preterm births
A large racial disparity in infant mortality exists in Gwinnett The Black non-Hispanic infant mortality rate (12 5) is close to twice the rate of White non-Hispanic infants (6 3)
The Need for Pediatric Care
According to datausa io, there are 26,563 uninsured children and youth under the age of 18, living in Gwinnett, who are needing a low-cost alternative to healthcare On average, there are 380 children in foster care in Gwinnett needing free and low-cost medical care.
The Need for a Maternity Home
Pregnant mothers experiencing homelessness are more than twice as likely to experience a complication to their health during labor/birth, be underweight or have class III obesity, not take or have access to prenatal vitamins, and are almost 50% more likely to hemorrhage or have preterm labor during their pregnancies In short, homelessness exacerbates our maternal mortality rate Infants born to homeless mothers are more likely to have lower birth weights, longer hospital stays, receive neonatal intensive care, and have a higher likelihood of birth defects caused specifically by poor nutrition/diet during the first trimester
The Need for Mental & Behavioral Health
Maternal mental health has become a crisis One in seven women will experience postpartum depression and women of color are five times more likely to experience postpartum depression. One in ten women will experience postpartum anxiety and 80% feel anxious and depressed after birth. Most never seek help.
The Need for a Fatherhood Program
Research shows that strong father-child relationships have a profound impact on everything from child educational outcomes to drug use and criminal activity. Children with involved, responsible, and committed fathers are less prone to depression and statistically more likely to be healthier than children who grow up without their fathers in their lives
The Need for Pregnancy Loss Support
Pregnancy loss is a significant and often painful experience for many individuals and families in the U S It can occur at various stages, including miscarriage (before 20 weeks), stillbirth (after 20 weeks), and neonatal loss (within the first 28 days after birth) It’s estimated that about 10-20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, about 1 in 100 pregnancies in the U S ends in stillbirth, and neonatal loss occurs in about 3-4 out of every 1,000 births Adoption placement and abortion are also forms of pregnancy loss
CARING MORE
GA Wellness is a lifeline in Gwinnett and surrounding counties as the only non-profit in the area providing free and low-cost prenatal care! GA Wellness's dedication to achieving its mission has helped it become established as a respected leader in the community by providing services to the most underserved and culturally diverse individuals GA Wellness’s target population often experiences significant disparities in accessing health care leading to lower life expectancy, higher infant and maternal mortality, and lower-quality care
GA Wellness began prenatal care in January 2021 providing free and low-cost prenatal care to 118
2024 HIGHLIGHTS
220 PRENATAL PATIENTS SERVED 150 BABIES DELIVERED 82 THRIVE PARTICIPANTS OVER 6,300 PATIENT VISITS
Rachel came to GA Wellness as a mom of 5 children During her first visit, she was given a pregnancy test and an ultrasound, revealing an empty uterus and some other test result abnormalities Our OB referred her for further testing and care You’re thinking our part of the story is over, right? Wrong! Some of the abnormalities were indications of uterine or ovarian cancer (which ran in her family), and Rachel was undoubtedly concerned about the findings! On her final scheduled visit to GA Wellness for one last ultrasound, our sonographer found a twin pregnancy developing, which would explain the initial abnormal findings! Rachel delivered healthy twins She joined our Thrive program receiving valuable education for her pregnancy and parenting skills She could shop in our Baby Boutique with the points she received from her education classes, at no cost, to provide the necessary items for her babies
THE PROGRESS
Number of single moms with no support
Maternal mortality rate in Georgia
Infant mortality rate In Gwinnett
Number of uninsured women without medical care
Preterm birth rate
Teen birth rate
Rate of low birth weight Homelessness
GA Wellness's Due Diligence
GA Wellness began looking for a new location in December 2021. During this time we looked at over twenty-five properties. We talked with other non-profits to rule out any opportunities for shared space. GA Wellness is unique in that it needs not just medical space, but education space, a room for processing donations, a room for a Baby Boutique, and administrative space for all the various programs we offer The GA Wellness team met with a designer to determine the minimum amount of space we would need for our current and expanded programs and it was determined that 10,000 square feet was the minimum With a lack of time to perform a feasibility study, we relied on the fact that GA Wellness is the only non-profit providing services to reduce the risks associated with pregnancy in Gwinnett and surrounding counties, thereby confirming the need for this expansion
Why this Building?
Current Leased Building
720 Old Snellville Hwy
The new GA Wellness building exceeds the minimum required square footage by 2,560 square feet, giving us the space to grow in future years It will require minimal renovations on the second floor which is currently administrative This is where we will house our admin offices, education classes, and baby boutique The majority of renovations will take place on the first floor which is already medical.
Location was a big priority in finding the right building. We needed to be close to the 2 hospitals serving this area Located at 720 Old Snellville Highway, this building is only 4 5 miles from Northside Gwinnett Hospital and 3 7 miles from Piedmont Eastside Hospital It is also located on the bus line and within proximity to low-income housing and other programs for youth such as The Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA
This building will enable us to Reach More patients and Care More deeply!
More Care & Outcomes
As we Reach More Care More, we expect to see 50% growth in our current services - pregnancy verification, STI testing and treatment, Well-Woman Care, and Prenatal Care in the next five years based on historical growth patterns We will see growth not only in our Medical Program but also in our Exchange Program where we plan to expand our pregnancy loss care to include post miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth mom care We will also go from very limited Mental and Behavioral Services to having someone on-site full-time
According to datausa io, there are 26,563 uninsured children and youth under the age of 18 who are needing a low-cost alternative to healthcare On average, there are 380 children in foster care in Gwinnett needing free and low-cost medical care Providing Pediatric Care will also allow GA Wellness to continue to provide compassionate healthcare, as well as parenting education and prevention practices to grow healthier families and support to foster families
GA Wellness will provide a supportive maternal residence for up to 6 pregnant moms 18 years and older, and their babies until their baby is 18 months old By providing housing for single, pregnant moms experiencing homelessness, we empower them in the midst of a crisis, address maternal mortality, encourage healthier choices physically, as well as create a financial plan that will remove them from the cycle of poverty and place them on a road to success
GA Wellness will hire a Mens Services Director who will build our Fatherhood Program consisting of Volunteer Male Client Advocates These Advocates will meet one on one with the fathers of our babies and implement the Fatherhood curriculum With our Fatherhood Program, dads will be treated as more than a ride to the clinic but as a vital part of the pregnancy and family
Expanding our current Exchange Program to include women who have experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or made an adoption plan as a birth mom, will provide help to women who have experienced pregnancy loss. Many times these losses are experienced alone with no one to come alongside and support them through their grief. GA Wellness will be there for these women.
Studies show that not only are mothers impacted by mental health conditions, but their children are too For example, when a mother experiences depression after giving birth, children can experience lasting effects such as behavioral problems, depression symptoms, and stress-related health This high-stakes and high-stress birth culture triggers serious mental health issues for some women, especially the most vulnerable and least supported. Postpartum depression can end in tragedy. Suicide is the second leading cause of postpartum death. Offering mental & behavioral health services will decrease the number of women affected by postpartum depression
CARING MORE
This capital campaign will expand over three years. Below you will see the financial investment needed for each year. Year one support covers the cost of purchasing the building, installation of an elevator, painting of the exterior, renovations for half of the first floor and the second floor, and new operational expenses. A tenant will occupy half of the first floor until October 2024. The rent provided by this tenant is figured into the Capital Campaign budget Year two support covers the completion of renovations, moving expenses, new operational expenses, new fatherhood program expenses, furniture and equipment, the initial opening of pediatric care, and the purchase of a maternity home Year three covers the renovation and opening of the maternity home and the continued expansion of new programs Please see below for a visual
Year 1
Building Acquisition & Renovations
Year 2 Complete Renovations
Year 3 New Programs
Overall Budget
GA Wellness’s Reach More, Care More Capital Campaign is targeted to raise $4 5M, which covers the cost of purchasing an existing building at $ 185 50/sq ft and renovations at $95 04/sq ft The remaining $976,266 00 will cover equipment and furnishing needs, marketing services, moving costs, and expanded services in years 2-3 This budget covers all the projected expenses and the revenue from the occupant in Suite 2 for 18 months.
The campaign will be monitored by the CEO, Accountant, and the Board Finance Committee, which oversees the financials and expenses of the organization An audit will be performed, which will verify compliance
$3,200,000.00
$1,000,000.00
$300,000.00
Your Investment
As a lifeline to the community, GA Wellness is embarking on a mission to reach more and care more Will you join us in not only purchasing a building but changing the direction of lives? Lives that are hopeless and without direction, lives that are full of choices that have led them down a path where they cannot see the light, lives that can change and affect generations to come
Your Return on Investment
There's a part of your investment that will be easily measured and those are the increased numbers we will report to you But there's an even greater unseen return on your investment that is not as easily measured The women, men, and families that engage in the various programs at GA Wellness will see the trajectory of their lives changed Therefore, your investment will not only have a numerical return on investment but a life-long change for the women, children, and families who are touched by your generosity
Our Commitment to You
As an investor in the Reach More Care More Campaign, we believe that you deserve to be informed along the way We commit to providing you with a regular newsletter highlighting the progress of the campaign, the renovations, and the stories of lives that will be changed through this initiative. We value investor feedback along the way! You will be part of our celebrations as we reach large milestones. We will also offer naming opportunities at various levels of commitment.
Campaign Leadership
Board of Directors
Randy Brunson, Board Chair
Marc Carson, Treasurer
Jacob Johnson, Secretary
Lisa Cink, Board Member
Keith Conley, Board Member
Joe Lewis, Board Member
Dr Gary Walker, MD, OB-GYN, Board Member
Michael Bryant, Board Member
Jason Chandler, Board Member
Cole Porter, Board Member
Margaret Phillips, Board Member
~Coretta Scott King