Same Mission. New Service.
Updated: Nov 1, 2021
Through the generosity of the body of Christ, Watermark Health now has the opportunity to serve the community through sonogram services.
God’s word reveals the intrinsic value, dignity, and worth He gives life, both inside and outside the womb. To affirm that value of life, Watermark Health serves over 11,000 uninsured/underinsured patients from 129 countries per year. Through no-cost urgent care services, staff and volunteers care for the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of each patient.
One to two times per week, Watermark Health medical providers deliver the news of a confirmed pregnancy. Women in those moments often experience a variety of emotions and the team at Watermark Health hopes to create a safe place for women to process those emotions.
“Engaging in conversations about God’s value of life is not a new area of ministry for Watermark Health,” said Samantha Parsons, Skillman Clinic Director. “The new sonogram machine is an additional tool to help the team confirm the value of life in those conversations.”
“This service connects women without a women’s health specialist to medical resources and serves women who are under-resourced, under-supported, or abortion-minded with an opportunity to be connected to a support system who will mentor them through their pregnancy,” said Parsons.
Since the soft launch of sonogram services in April 2021, Watermark Health has served over 20 expecting mothers with on-site sonograms.
A Full Circle Moment
“From the very first patient, it was clear that God would use medical visits as a way for members of His church to engage in conversations to affirm the value of pre-born lives. He's called us to support moms and families who feel overwhelmed by their circumstances,” said Parsons.
“On the opening day of our first urgent care clinic in 2013, there was a young woman who was doing her laundry at the laundry mat next door. She was not feeling well and learned that her symptoms were a result of her pregnancy,” said Dr. Matt Bush, founder of Watermark Health. “Little did she know, she and her unborn child would be our very first patients. The staff created a safe place for her to process the news, and despite her fear, and initial request for abortion services, we had the incredible privilege to see her decide to keep her child. The team would continue to walk with her throughout her pregnancy, even throwing her a baby shower at Denny’s next door. The way they cared for her built trust, and she brought her child to be seen as a patient multiple times.”
“It comes full-circle. I have seen where this team has stepped in to offer a place other than the ER for women to find out they are pregnant,” said Bush. “Thinking back on our first day, even if we would’ve never gone on to serve thousands of patients, the way we got to care for our first two patients made it all worthwhile.”
Behind the Scenes
At Watermark Health, urine tests and lab work have historically been the primary methods for pregnancy diagnoses.
According to the Guttamacher Institute (a pro-abortion organization), 55,440 abortions were provided in the state of Texas in 2017. That same year abortions in the state of Texas represented 6.4% of all abortions in the United States. [1] For abortion-minded and abortion-vulnerable patients, sonograms can be an effective tool in a decision towards life.
According to Heartbeat International, the average woman choosing abortion makes the decision within a day of confirming her pregnancy and obtains an abortion within the next week [2]. Watermark Health attempts to schedule patients with confirmed pregnancies for a follow-up visit within 48 hours.
While many patients were able to connect with and be cared for well by local pregnancy resource centers, there was no way for the team to know if abortion-vulnerable patients ever took that next step. There was still a chance that patients could leave the clinic, become too overwhelmed by their circumstances, lack of support, or fear of raising a child and decide to end the child’s life before seeing a sonogram.
Chermak explains how this equipment is so much more than a machine. A sonogram is a way for Moms to see the miracle, reality, confirmation of life in their womb and make a medically informed decision.
“We know there are a variety of circumstances that lead to moments of panic with an unplanned pregnancy; we hope this tool allows staff and volunteers to stand in the gap during those times,” said Chermak.
“While abortion might sometimes seem like a fast solution for a scary time, we knew that at its core, abortion isn’t only ending the life of a child but also contributing to negative emotional and medical outcomes for the mother,” said Chermak. “A way we show compassion for that woman is help her see that we’re not just advocating for the child, we are also concerned about her future physical and mental health.”
God’s Provision of Resources
Any time a pregnancy is confirmed on-site, the patient is connected to referrals for low-cost prenatal care and given a packet with educational content about nutrition, safe medications, stages of development, and how to treat morning sickness.
