HYPEREMESIS EDUCATION & RESEARCH FOUNDATION
The global voice of HG.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Due to lack of knowledge and research, hyperemesis gravidarum, HG, a pregnancy condition characterized by severe nausea and vomiting, leads to weight loss, dehydration and malnutrition. HG is one of the top 2 causes of hospitalization during pregnancy and results in a high fetal loss rates and numerous maternal complications including trauma, premature birth and pre-eclampsia, as well as risks of adverse effects on the child including neurodevelopmental delays, autism, behavioral and emotional disorders and sensory processing disorders.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
UCLA Research
HER has been working with UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine for over 7 years and has helped bring HG research participants into the program as well as fund over $60K in research. Through this research alone 24 medical journal articles have been published and will continue to be published. Most are groundbreaking including the genetics findings lead by Dr. Marlena Fejzo which have identified 3 genes involved in the cause and effects of HG.
USC Research
HER has been working with UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine for over 7 years and has helped bring HG research participants into the program as well as fund over $60K in research. Through this research alone 24 medical journal articles have been published and will continue to be published. Most are groundbreaking including the genetics findings lead by Dr. Marlena Fejzo which have identified 3 genes involved in the cause and effects of HG.
Education & Awareness & Advocacy
Develop tools to improve diagnosis and treatment so women receive the care they need to survive their pregnancies without complications for mother and child. These tools to date include multilingual brochures, assessment tools, and the HG Care App.
Policy & Advocacy for HG
Development of policies and improved treatment protocols through collaboration with medical societies and health organizations.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
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.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
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.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
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.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
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.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Medical societies, health professionals, mental health professionals, families, researchers, and anyone educating on the effects of pregnancy complications.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Suggestion box/email, Social media posts and surveys,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
Community members reported their OB would only look at one piece of paper, so we consolidated key information from across resources and our website into a single document. They also could not understand the treatment algorithm we developed for health professionals, so we developed a more lay-person version for them. Both resources are posted in PDFs on the website for free use.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
I don't think it's shifted power, it's more awareness of where we need to focus our efforts and how to refine what we do and offer.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
HYPEREMESIS EDUCATION & RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Board of directorsas of 12/27/2021
Kimber MacGibbon
HER Foundation
Term: 2003 -
Jeremy King
HER Foundation
Marlena Fejzo
USC/UCLA
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data