About Us

After their daughter Jennifer lost her battle with postpartum depression, her parents launched an initiative to help prevent other women from suffering a similar fate. In 2004, they established The Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling Postpartum Depression Foundation.

• Encourage and assist hospitals in creating effective programs to identify and treat postpartum depression sufferers and to add new public education efforts. 
  
  
• Educate the public and healthcare professionals about the symptoms, dangers and treatments for postpartum depression.
  
  
• Promote effective screening and rapid response treatments for mental health complications associated with childbearing.

Key accomplishments

• Launched Grand Rounds presentations on postpartum depression at Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Mercy Hospital, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Northwestern Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital.
  
  
• Co-sponsored numerous continuing medical education conferences with Mercy Hospital on perinatal depression for physicians, nurses, mental health professionals and social workers. Featured speakers have included: Dr. Manny Alvarez, Dr. Lee Cohen, Dr. Laura Miller, Dr. Shaila Misri, Sonia Murdock, Dr. Jennifer Payne, Dr. Lisa Rone, Dr. Zachary Stowe, Dr. Rohitkumar Vasa and Dr. Katherine Wisner.
   
• Established the Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling Postpartum Depression Program at NorthShore University HealthSystem, formerly Evanston Northwestern Healthcare.  This program offers prenatal and postnatal screenings, education programs for health care professionals and a 24-hour crisis line for new mothers.
  
  
• Created the Award for Courage to recognize individuals for their outstanding work in raising awareness of postpartum depression disorders. Brooke Shields received this award at the Foundation’s “Alternative Oscars” event featuring Roger Ebert.