Meghan Howie-Timmel

is a licensed clinical social worker. She received a BS degree in speech and language disorders at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an MSW degree at the Hunter Graduate School of Social Work in New York City. Meghan has clinical social work experience in health care settings, schools and mental health clinics. Meghan began counseling patients and families referred to the Rush Fetal and Neonatal Medicine program in 2005. Meghan’s prior work experience at Rush University Medical Center has been with the kidney and liver transplant program, the Rush pediatric dialysis unit and utilization management

Prior to her move to Chicago, Meghan was the coordinator for therapeutic recreation programs at AHRC in New York City, which utilized the talents of creative arts professionals. Meghan has special interests in maternal and child health, counseling teens and palliative care/bereavement support. She hopes to provide a link to health care that pays attention to the mind, body and spirit.

Patients with a pregnancy complicated by a prenatal fetal diagnosis are referred to the Rush Fetal and Neonatal Medicine program. One of the program goals is to engage families so they feel a part of the decision-making process. Meghan and her team members in the Rush Fetal and Neonatal program partner with the patient and family to assist them as they go through this difficult period in their lives. Meghan strives to allow the family with their unique history, to inform her as she collaborates with them and the significant medical professionals, to provide appropriate care.

Along with the other caring professionals in the Rush Fetal and Neonatal Medicine program, Meghan coordinates family conferences and invites professionals from the many hospital disciplines: neonatology, pediatric surgery, pediatric nephrology, ethics, pediatric neurology and pediatric cardiology. They come together to formulate a prenatal, delivery and postnatal plan to best meet the needs of the family.

Program members continue to assist in coordinating care once the mother and baby go home.

Meghan assists with practical services such as parking, housing, appointment coordination and arranging tours of the Rush University Medical Center. Meghan provides counseling and referrals for individual and/or group mental health counseling, insurance information and assistance, referrals to teen-specific services and referrals to palliative care and bereavement support groups. Meghan co-facilitates the Partnership in Caring Parent Bereavement Support group in conjunction with Rush University Medical Center, Stroger Hospital and University of Illinois Hospital counselors.