GREAT EXPECTATIONS MATERNITY CENTER NOW OPEN.

Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer

NORTH HOLLYWOOD - To meet the growing need of affordable prenatal care in Los Angeles, Valley Presbyterian Hospital has conceived its own cost-effective solution: a full-service maternity center.

The Van Nuys-based hospital opened its new maternity center five miles from its campus earlier this spring. With a budget hovering close to $200,000, the hospital has devoted the 2,000-square-foot facility to prenatal care and education.

``Our mission is to reach out to the community and provide quality service,'' said Dr. Andrea Reiche, medical director of the clinic.

So far, the clinic has garnered modest popularity. Averaging around two visitors a day now, Reiche said, she's optimistic business will pick up once people are aware of its existence. Last Wednesday, there were total of six appointments at the clinic.

``We encourage people to come in on a regular basis even after they've been here for the first time,'' Reiche said.

The center's six private exam rooms are regulated by Elena Perez, clinic administrator-director of The Maternity Center and Perinatology. Among Perez's primary goals is to establish a prenatal clinic that better serves the Latino population.

With a staff fluent in Spanish, the clinic is poised to take on the San Fernando Valley's varied population. Reiche said it may take some time to develop a relationship with this community, but her ``medical Spanish'' is proficient and the clinic's doors are open to anyone.

Giving the center broader appeal is its acceptance of Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal is California's equivalent of Medicaid. The program pays for a multitude of medical services for children and adults with limited income and resources. Reiche said a Medi-Cal representative is at the clinic, helping clients apply and qualify for Medi-Cal.

Many clinics throughout Los Angeles accept Medi-Cal, although the notion that The Maternity Center provides prenatal care coupled with education is certainly a positive, said Mary Cirricione, Valley service area director for maternal child health at Kaiser Permanante in Woodland Hills and Panorama City.

``Having education and care together certainly strengthens the value and the product,'' Cirricione said. ``And California does make it pretty affordable for people to receive this kind of care.''

As lower-income families struggle to find inexpensive yet effective care, Valley Presbyterian's new clinic is attempting to become a Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program. CPSP is affiliated with Medi-Cal with a specific purpose: To improve the health of low-income pregnant women through better nutrition.

``The clinic is just finishing up the paper work to gain CPSP status,'' according to Lisa Chakos Knapp, a Valley Presbyterian spokeswoman.

Knapp said the hospital's main campus is already capable of providing this service, which is funded by the state. Nutritional health, education and psychosocial services are all included in CPSP.

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(color) Diana Perez-Martin is a nurse practitioner at Valley Presbyterian Hospital's maternity center, which opened this spring.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer