Dear Dar a Luz Community-

It has been far too long since we have sent out a newsletter…we have been
working really hard and time has been moving quickly!

In my last newsletter in May, I shared that we had submitted a request for
funding through the state. Sadly, we were notified at the end of July that we
did not receive that funding. I also shared that we had been awarded a very
large federal grant ($2.67M) through Senator Heinrich’s congressionally
directed spending. Unfortunately, we will have to decline that funding; our
ability to access those funds in a way that propels Dar a Luz forward is not
possible. It’s a bitter pill to swallow but not every opportunity opens the right
doors at the right time.

Despite those disappointments, we have been working over time adjusting to
Dar a Luz Health Center and the way this clinic operates without being a birth
center. The transition has been hard and if I am being honest, there were a
couple months there that I didn’t think we were going to make it. But we did
and we are.

Closing out this third quarter, here are a few statistics that we’re excited about:

• 65% increase in new patients over quarters 1 + 2;
  
• 25% increase in clinic utilization (meaning how full we are based on the
  number of patient care hours that are available per month); for quarter 3,
  we were 89% full;
  
• 51% increase in billing for services rendered.

Blech, math. Yeah I know, but this is really important because these Q3
increases are exactly what we need in order to keep our doors open and keep
providing this care, the care that Dar a Luz is known for, to you, our
community. We have to know and understand every detail of how we become
and remain sustainable on services alone… and without birth. This has been a
long exercise over the past 9 months to grasp exactly what it will take and we
are starting to see the pieces fall into place. Grants, fundraisers, and donations
—we need all of it too, but it has to be the extra, the icing on the cake, the
cherry on top.

When I shared with my brother that we didn’t get the state funding, he wrote
this to me: “Trust the universe, but trust your vision, too. You are a leader.
Collectively, we need new ways, because the current way isn’t working.
Imagine what “better” would look like, and then take small, daily steps toward
“better.” And that is exactly what we have been doing and will continue to do
in this ever-changing healthcare landscape. Thank you for those words,
Brother!

“All great achievements require time”. -Maya Angelou

Ok, that’s enough to chew on for now. Check out the rest of our newsletter
below including new services and some testimonials from ketamine infusion
therapy that were added earlier in the year!

With everlasting gratitude – Abigail

My name is Meagan Malamud-Morse (she/her), and I have been a midwife and
nurse practitioner at Dar a Luz for the last six years. I am delighted to
announce that I am starting to offer gender affirming hormone therapy
(GAHT) for trans, nonbinary and gender-expansive folks. As a queer cisgender
midwife, I’ve been looking forward to adding GAHT to my clinical practice. I
want to support my beloved queer and trans community in thriving, and one
way to do that is offer a welcoming, skilled, respectful place for trans
community to get gender-affirming care. I am grateful to now be able to offer
these services at Dar a Luz as of September 1st.

At Dar a Luz, the heart of our practice is respect for each individual. Our
approach to GAHT centers the values of bodily autonomy, informed choice,
racial justice, gender justice, health at every size, and trauma-informed care.

Using an informed consent model, we will offer masculinizing, feminizing, and
nonbinary hormone therapies to people age 16 and up, including:

• Estrogen and anti-androgen hormone therapy (and companion
  medications)
  
• Testosterone hormone therapy (and companion medications)
  
• Self-injection teaching for applicable medications

We will also offer broader sexual and reproductive health and primary care
services including:

• Pregnancy prevention and management
  
• STI testing and treatment
  
• HIV prevention medication such as PrEP
  
• Insurance letters in preparation for surgery
  
• Treatment for hair loss related to hormone therapy
  
• Preventative health screenings including cervical cancer screening, chest
  and breast exams, colonoscopy referrals

Please help us spread the word about this area of care!
Interested in learning more, click here.

“Having been a KIT participant under various caregivers for over three years,
Dar a Luz is by far my best experience of all. KIT has helped me to overcome
serious clinical depression and other mental health challenges, but of all the
facilities I’ve worked with, Dar a Luz is by far the most conducive for healing
and a sense of well-being. The location itself is peaceful, almost rural; the
interior of the building is so tranquil I was immediately relaxed, and the staff
and clinicians made me feel completely safe and cared for, unlike more clinical
settings I had visited in the early stages of my treatments. The affordability of
the treatments has made it possible for me to continue this therapy, which
was often a financial roadblock in the past. I have highly recommended them
to anyone who is interested in this amazing therapy. I also wanted to add that
the preparatory information provided by Dar a Luz was by far the most
thorough of any of the providers I’ve used — thank you for that.”
– Anonymous

“I am so thankful to Dar a Luz and Alisa for helping me in my journey to
recover from post-partum depression. I came to Dar a Luz with little hope
after trialing 3 antidepressants. I decided to give ketamine infusion therapy a
try because my depression was treatment resistant. After two induction
infusion series my depression has lifted and my PHQ score reduced from 21 to
6! While I’m still on my recovery journey I’m so thankful for Dar a Luz for
being there during this time and offering ketamine therapy.”
– Anonymous

Upcoming Classes & Support Groups:

This condensed version of our Inspired and Intentional birth class covers
stages of labor, useful coping techniques, postpartum and common
interventions at the hospital. Feel more informed, relaxed and confident about
what to expect in labor and birth especially in the hospital setting. Taught by
our awesome Educator Amity and fabulous Nurse Practitioner Krystal.

This is a 2 part series but only one registration is needed for both classes.
Cost is $150

We’re hosting a FREE Car Seat Safety Check Event to help ensure your
children are as secure as possible on every ride.

Did you know that 3 out of 4 car seats are used incorrectly? Our Certified
Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) Amity will be on-site to check your
installation and confirm you are using the correct seat for your child’s age,
weight, and height.

Come on out—it’s a quick, helpful check that can make all the difference!

Navigating midlife comes with real challenges, major transitions, and often,
unexpected liberation. Dar a Luz invites anyone who identifies as a
perimenopausal or menopausal woman/person to join our in-person support
circle. Our group will be in person at Dar a Luz every 3rd Sunday each month
from 4-6pm. At least one Dar a Luz staff member will be moderating the
group. Our hope is to offer this group in person at least monthly. And we hope
to have speakers and other educational offerings. Mostly, we want to create a
safe space for those of us in midlife to meet and discuss life— the challenges
we face as well as the liberation of this time in our lives.

Snacks always provided. Donation requested but not required to attend.
Please consider bringing a friend or two as well!

Dar a Luz invites you to our Little Pumpkins: Halloween Postpartum Support
Group on October 28th!

Bring your little one in costume (or cozy pajamas, whatever gets you out the
door!) and join us. We will be making keepsake footprint crafts (think adorable
baby-foot ghosts and bats!), sharing festive treats, and admiring tiny
costumes. Whether you are nursing, bottle-feeding, pumping, or combo-
feeding, you and your baby belong here.

Donate Today!

We are so grateful for any and all support of our organization.

You can now donate via PayPal directly by clicking the button below.

We thank you for your support!

Other ways to donate:

• Stock or bond transfer, or charitable gift annuity (use this pdf)
• Donor-advised fund gift
• Cash or Check (info below)

Please make checks payable to:
Dar a Luz Birth & Health Center
7708 4th Street NW, Los Ranchos, NM 87107

You can designate us as your United Way charity, Benevity or name
us as the beneficiary on your Smith’s rewards accounts. We are a
community-owned birth center and a non-profit, so every penny
counts!

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