Numbers at a Glance

Thousands of individuals visit San Diego emergency departments each year due to reproductive loss. Yet, most staff receive little to no training on how to handle the emotional crisis. These compassionate professionals encounter this weekly, if not daily. Without the proper tools to help, both hospital teams and the patients they serve can be deeply impacted.

In partnership with the Institute, Scripps Mercy has been transforming the way care is delivered in its emergency departments.

In 2022, 33 nurses, social workers, chaplains, and ancillary staff members participated in intensive training to become department leads. Two years later, hundreds more have completed education, demonstrating the sustainability and lasting impact of our approach.

La Maestra is collaborating with the Institute to transform reproductive grief care across its entire system, including the Walk-In Clinic, OB/GYN, Primary Care, Pediatrics, Behavioral Health, Substance Use Disorder Program, and Services for Trafficked Individuals.

Committed to providing quality care for diverse, underserved populations regardless of their ability to pay, La Maestra's team of over 500 staff members serves 45,000 patients annually, ensuring access to essential healthcare services.

In addition to providing in-depth training to multidisciplinary teams, the Institute is in the process of certifying two instructors who will prepare staff to provide compassionate grief care organization-wide.

The Perinatal Bereavement Coordinator at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women participated in coaching and consulting to enhance her expertise. Already considered a specialist in her field, she turned to the Institute to ensure compliance with Best Practices and explore how best to provide reproductive grief care in a busy healthcare environment. She now feels prepared to lead training for 400 nurses and providers to improve policies and procedures related to reproductive loss. With the Institute’s support, she will enhance patient care from check-in through discharge and follow-up.

The Institute’s training with CommonSpirit Mountain Region is ongoing. So far, we have provided in-depth, multidisciplinary training to 42 leaders representing over 20 hospitals. Additionally, 6 of these individuals have been trained to specialize in reproductive grief care, equipping them to extend this education across their respective hospitals. These training sessions have proven that our education seamlessly adapts to diverse locations, further amplifying its impact. If one healthcare provider can positively impact hundreds of lives, imagine the profound difference these leaders will make in their region.

One RN from a rural women’s clinic, received a scholarship in 2022 to earn her Individual Certificate in reproductive grief care. Inspired by her training, she advocated for organization-wide education.

Their location is reporting at least two confirmed losses per week. Staff members have expressed emotional strain and a critical need for training on delivering difficult news as well as how to support both patients and colleagues.

Thanks to the generosity of a donor whose 2022 grant planted the seed for change, the entire team has now completed the emergency care program, receiving specialized training in reproductive grief care. As a result, they have implemented key initiatives, including miscarriage collection and remembrance kits, as well as personal follow-ups after reproductive loss.

The Institute brought its training to Eastern Europe, where an organization working with women’s hospitals across Ukraine wished to adopt our Emergency Care Program. Their staff not only translated the Institute’s courses and materials, they became certified instructors allowing them to integrate reproductive grief care throughout their community.

Our organization is committed to embracing diversity across all aspects of our work. We recognize that women from minority groups experience higher levels of reproductive loss and often have less access to adequate medical care. For example, Black women experience almost double the rate of reproductive loss compared to other racial and ethnic groups. We also recognize that minorities, including religious minorities and individuals of diverse sexual orientations, experience more societal stigma and isolation after such loss.

While the Institute is an expert in reproductive grief care, our partners are the experts in the populations they serve. We provide a platform that combines our expertise for greater impact and sustainability.