HYPEREMESIS EDUCATION & RESEARCH FOUNDATION

THE HER FOUNDATION’S MISSION IS TO ADVANCE HYPERMEMESIS GRAVIDARUM (HG) RESEARCH AND POLICY INITIATIVES, AND PROVIDE EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TO THOSE SEEKING EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR HYPEREMESIS GRAVIDARUM (HG). THE HER FOUNDATION IS THE VOICE OF SUPPORT AND HOPE TO ALL WHO ARE FACED WITH MANAGING HG. *HG is severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy that can be life-threatening and cause dehydration, malnutrition and other complications for mother and child.

The foundation partners with leading universities for research and app development and has a highly educated Board of Directors that guides its work. HER creates tools and resources to educate both families and health professionals, speaks or exhibits at obstetrical conferences, and engages with organizations to develop policies and resources that improve the care of women with HG around the world. HER also personally supports tens of thousands of women each year on social media platforms and direct support. Additionally volunteers offer personal support as well.

The foundation partners with leading universities for research and app development and has a highly educated Board of Directors with expertise and HG experience that guides its work. All are professionals in a scientific, business or technology industry, and several have corporate or university affiliations that support the foundation in some way. With these universities, HER has helped identify the first genes associated with the cause of HG. HER also has several hundred volunteers across the globe that provide emotional support of families facing HG. HER has a staff of 2, plus its founders and board members that are actively involved. The Executive Director co-founded the organization and has been a director since the foundation started as a website in 2000. She has been a registered nurse for over 30 years and survived 2 HG pregnancies. She has worked with Dr. Marlena Fejzo, a Harvard-trained geneticist and leading HG scientist, for 20 years on HG research. Most core admins, staff, directors, volunteers, and several board members have been working with the foundation for 10-17 years. This has built enormous expertise and consistency that gives HER an excellent reputation for credibility and makes it the leading source for HG information and resources.

2019 Accomplishments:
- Education of medical professionals at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Conference.
- Publication of scientific research with UCLA and USC.
- Support of approximately 20,000 families facing HG.
- Collaboration with MoMMA’S Voices Coalition on policy opportunities.
- Attendance at Champions of Change Summit to represent HER Foundation and learn more on policy opportunities and network with policy leadership.
- Attendance and discussion of policy needs at the OR Perinatal Collaborative.
- Presentation of research findings at the International Colloquium of HG.
- Education on HG via social media and website of HG with daily posts in May for HG Awareness Month.
- Development and distribution of an HG treatment Algorithm.
- Collaborative meeting on needs of HG community with officers and department chairs at Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in DC.
- Launch of free HG Care app with UCLA mHealth.
- Documentary on HG to increase awareness started.
- Presentation on HG management at Infusion Nurses Society.


2020 brings a year of
- policy initiatives and engagement with influencers like the NIH and SMFM
- exhibition and speaking at SMFM in Dallas
- speaking at the Gold Midwifery Conference
- ongoing research in the areas of nutrition, genetics, HG severity assessment, and usage of the HG Care app
- a totally redesigned and updated website that is mobile friendly and includes interactive content to guide mothers in managing HG
- additional translations of educational materials into Indonesian, French and Hebrew
- expanded educational and awareness campaigns
- launch of the HG critical information poster for clinics in English and Spanish
- publication of new research on genetics and the HER Foundation severity tool, the HELP Score, as well as collaborative research the International Collaboration on HG's study on HG research priorities
- partnership with Optum Healthcare for distribution of HER resources to clinics nationwide
and continued growth of many projects listed in 2019.