Note from Julie Dowler
Dear CAPS Team Members,
I missed being with you at our fun June Appreciation In-Service. I was not there because I contracted COVID of all things. And, because I had to stay away from everyone in my life for a bit, I ended up having an amazing week with Jesus. I spent a lot of the time listening, reading, taking notes and just meditating on a couple of books, particularly one I read years ago, With Christ, in the School of Prayer. I felt that God had some important points/reminders for ALL of us, not just for my own prayers. There are too many to list at once. My plan is to share more over the summer, but here are just a few to start :
- Remember to always look to Jesus for the “How” of prayer; He is our example and our teacher.
- Prayer is part of our worship of a Holy God. We need to worship in Spirit and Truth, John 4:23-24. Pray, not from the mind or heart but from the spirit within us. God is Spirit and praying to Him is a spiritual exercise. He fills us when we are open and ask, then we pray to Him what He has given us to pray. This is prayer that is always in agreement with the Father and we can rest in these prayers of faith. I needed this reminder!
- Be alone and pray with the Father regularly; come as a child.
- Pray with others because “where two or more are gathered in My name, there I am in their midst.” Matt 18:20. Thank you for keeping fellowship prayer, with the presence of Jesus in our midst, front and center on every CAPS shift.
- Re-remember/study the model prayer that Jesus gave to us: “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” Matt 6:9. It is the perfect prayer and has components that help us remember who God is, who we are and how we come before Him as our heavenly Father.
The exchange between the Father and His child is one of the most precious gifts bestowed upon us daily here on earth as we wait to be with Him face-to-face. It is an essential part of the core and culture of CAPS. Thank you for your prayers with team members and please keep CAPS in your daily prayers. We are in a spiritual battle. Our collective faith-filled, believing prayers can mightily move and change the landscape of San Diego and beyond. Let’s step it up! Let it always be said of us that we exercise and believe in the power of prayer!
IMPORTANT HIPAA Reminders
- Legally only one patient identifier can be sent in text or email. Please make sure you are following this at all times.
- Prioritize using CAPS emails or phones over using personal emails or phones.
Reminders For Patients Who Do Not Speak English
RECEPTIONISTS:
We are officially implementing a new scheduling rule for non-English speaking patients. Please block off an extra 30 minutes at the end of the scheduled appointment to allow for proper translation and for charting. Contact Julie Williams or Stephanie Noriega to place the 30 minute “block” on AdvancedMD.
*Please note: this also means that you may not schedule a non-English speaking patient if there is another appointment scheduled right after.
PCSs and MEDICAL:
If the patient brings a support person: The support person may be used as a translator if the patient gives verbal consent for this person to act as one. Don’t forget to document this in your notes.
*Please note: LanguageLine, our translation service, should still be used by medical personnel to ask confidential questions and to gain the verbal consent mentioned above.
If the patient is alone: Unless you speak the preferred language yourself, please use LanguageLine throughout the appointment and for follow ups. You may find instructions for use at each receptionist area, in the flip binders at every satellite nurse education room, and pinned on the board to the right of the College nurse computer.
*Please note: LanguageLine can be used in clinic on speaker phone and for follow ups via a conference call.
Please reach out to your COC, Julie Williams, or Maggie McGowan if you have any questions!
Parenting Class Update
I just wrapped up my fourth session of Parenting Class, and each group is so unique and wonderful! Each class has such a personality of its own, and it’s so exciting and fun to see how things unfold. This particular class had a huge interest (18 patients – so upwards of 36 people total) and we ended up having a consistent 5 patients and their partners show up. Every couple attended most classes and 2 couples attended all 5 classes. We also had 2 grandmothers come to 1-2 classes as an extra support person.
Four couples connected very well with each other, and gave consent for their email addresses to be shared in the group for future connections and get-togethers. I loved watching the dads, especially, meet other dads-to-be and have feelings of camaraderie.
One couple in particular, *Haley + *Michael, were so excited to join as they were on the waitlist. Then i sent the email that they were able to participate, they said they couldn’t wait. They came to every single class, asked great questions and were very engaged. They are from another country, with no family nearby. They were extra grateful for the class and the participants who would become a community for them. At the last class, Haley + Michael stayed a little later and asked me if i volunteered my time to teach the class. When I replied with “yes”, they were so shocked and even more appreciative. She looked at me and said “Don’t give up! Look at the lives you are changing. For example, look at us. We are here from another country, with no support and no family and no knowledge of how to raise our baby. But because of you and what you have taught us, we know things now and our baby is going to be changed because of you! And our baby’s baby, and that baby…and the legacy of all the babies who will benefit from what you have taught us.” Her words made tears spring to my eyes! I LOVE teaching this class!!! I’m so passionate about parenting, and equipping people in their parenting role. Her words really touched my heart and gave me a perspective i hadn’t actually considered before. I responded and told her it is my JOY to be the one to help equip and train.
I also keep in touch with a few students from previous classes, and just received a sweet email from a patient *Samantha (not her name) who was in my first ever class, with photos and videos of her sweet baby boy who is 1 year old. She thanked me for all that she learned “especially about feeding and watching out for him constantly putting things in his mouth, because that’s the stage we are in!”
What an honor and a gift it is for us at CAPS to not only help our patients with their parenting choices, but to also further equip them with our ongoing education and services.
*not their real names
Elizabeth Seaton
Parenting Class Instructor
The next Parenting Class is set to begin September 19
PACE Update
A woman, who is not our patient, found CAPS’ website when she was looking for support for a recent abortion. She had an initial phone conversation with Laurie and has agreed to meet with Laurie each week on Thursdays at the College clinic to go through the Keys to Hope and Healing booklet.
As you read this, can you pause and pray that:
- She will continue to meet with Laurie and work through her grief so that she can experience healing
- Laurie will be able to connect and guide her
- She will experience the power of forgiveness that only God can give and she will connect to her Savior in a meaningful way
Here are some more of our favorite comments from recent Patient Satisfaction Surveys
- “Nancy is super helpful and my nurse Monica was super sweet and caring plus funny”
- “So thankful for this experience. My friend referred me and I will be sharing with my friends also.”
- “Services were absolutely perfect made time for me and family.”
- “Exceeded our expectations, the staff went above and beyond to give us the best experience possible. Thank you so much!”
- “This was such a wonderful experience! You all were so loving and gentle during what can be an anxious and scary time.”