After almost 20 years operating as a nonprofit clinic for women
facing an unplanned pregnancy, Compassion Pregnancy Services of
Hollister finally received its state medical license providing the
medical legitimacy its employees spent two years striving to
obtain.
Hollister – After almost 20 years operating as a nonprofit clinic for women facing an unplanned pregnancy, Compassion Pregnancy Services of Hollister finally received its state medical license providing the medical legitimacy its employees spent two years striving to obtain.
It took the center two years and three months to get their medical policies and procedures up to par, have state representatives review and re-review their license application and make sure everything was up to code, according to Executive Director Angie Roland.
But it was well worth the wait, she said.
The clinic, which just moved from its old location on Monterey Street to a new building on Fifth Street, is now supervised by a gynecologist, can provide verification of pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and nurse consultations with the clinic’s newly-hired registered nurse – all free of charge, Roland said. Before gaining its license, the organization mainly provided support to mothers.
“We’ve been told that centers like ours, that become a clinic and add the medical aspect, see a lot more clients than they previously did,” Roland said, and added they service about 600 patients a year. “I think people will feel like what we have to offer can better meet their needs, and it’s free.”
While women in Hollister can obtain similar services from the San Benito Health Foundation, Compassion is the only organization in Hollister that provides services completely free of charge, no strings or Medical cards attached, Roland said. Planned Parenthood also provides services to women in cash-strapped situations, however they are based in Gilroy and Salinas.
The organization, which receives one-third of its funding from fundraisers and the rest from private donors, churches and the United Way, strives to provide both educational and functional resources to Hollister women caught in an unplanned pregnancy, Roland said. Although it currently doesn’t test for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), Roland said that is one of the clinic’s goals in the future.
But for now the six-person staff and host of volunteers focus on giving a woman her first pre-natal assessment, scheduling appointments with an obstetrician, furnishing her with a crib or stroller and even providing her with maternity and baby clothes, Roland said.
“The most important thing we offer is ourselves. We support, we nurture, we walk alongside and we challenge the women who come to help us,” Roland said. “We try to get our girls to look beyond the here and now. We want them to weigh all their options.”
This includes informing women of their option to terminate a pregnancy, although Compassion does not provide abortions.
Because many of the girls who utilize Compassion’s services are teenagers, the organization also strives to do as many presentations at local middle schools and youth groups as possible to educate about STDs, pregnancy and other realities teens are faced with concerning sex.
“We’ve seen girls as young as 13 come in,” Roland said. “Some have been sexually active for awhile, for some it’s their first experience and they’re scared to death…. Some feel helpless and need to be talked through the process. Some are happy to be pregnant. We see all types of girls here.”
Prevention Educator Carolyn Grover said many teens are unaware of what constitutes sex and are clueless to the dangers that go along with that ignorance.
“A lot of them don’t think oral sex is sex,” Grover said. “We show them statistics about STDs and we go over the physical, emotional, spiritual and financial risks of sexual intimacy. In a way, we try to scare them.”
Fear is a common emotion when first dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, as Compassion client Michelle (her name was changed to protect her anonymity) found when she discovered nearly a year ago that she was pregnant. The 26-year-old Hollister resident was out for a walk when she passed the organization’s location and decided to take a chance.
While she suspected she was pregnant – a situation she and her long-term boyfriend hadn’t planned to find themselves in – the ladies at Compassion gave her a pregnancy test and a safe haven when it came back positive.
“They helped me with a lot of moral support,” she said. “They’re there if you need a friend.”
The women provided Michelle with videos, books and other pertinent information for an expecting mother, found an obstetrician for her and gave her diapers, baby clothes and a bassinet for her now 2-month-old healthy baby girl, she said.
But more important, their support helped extinguish her fear and enjoy the prospect of motherhood that she unexpectedly found herself in.
“It’s comfortable and safe,” she said, “and it’s a good place to go for information.”
Compassion Pregnancy Services invites the public to attend the grand opening of its new location at 483 Fifth St. on Sunday from 2pm – 5:30pm. For more information or to volunteer, call (831) 637-4020.
Staff Writer Danielle Smith contributed to this report
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
