Christian Maternity Hospital Will Offer Free Care

Online, April 4, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Expectant mothers in need of maternity care will soon have an alternative to government aid.

Samaritan Ministries International, based in Peoria, Illinois, is pleased to announce a new project called The Morning Center. The Morning Center will establish full-service maternity hospitals in major cities, James Lansberry, vice president of the Samaritan Ministries, announced today.

Plans are for the first completely charitable hospital to be operating by the end of 2012.

The hospital will provide a variety of resources for Christians to reach out to mothers in crisis.

--Complete prenatal care, counseling, mentoring, and professional photography that celebrates the joy of new life will be provided.

--A birthing center that offers mothers flexibility in making birth choices--from providing facilities for water birth, and space for family, to highly trained staff and equipment needed for any medical situation.

--Staff members will have a clear sense of God's calling to demonstrate the Good News of Jesus Christ in compassionate and practical ways as they care for each mother and baby.

"The need for such a facility is overdue," Lansberry said.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, as of 2007 Medicaid paid for 41 percent of childbirths and maternity care nationwide. The Morning Center will rely exclusively on private donations and funding.

"It's time for Christians to take back beginning-of-life care for Jesus' glory," Lansberry said. "We want to step in and give women an option of maternity care that takes into account the image of God in both the mother and child. We want to offer an alternative to the second-class service most mothers currently receive through Medicaid.

"By lavishing the love of Christ through high-quality, personalized care, The Morning Centers will bring a new day in health care for pregnant women and their babies."

More details on The Morning Center, including how to support the effort, are available at
www.morningcenter.org and at facebook.com/morningcenter.

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To schedule an interview with James Lansberry, call 888-726-4276 or send an e-mail to
ebarrett(at)smchcn.net.