Wellness business expanded in Hatboro
Maternal Wellness Center expands, relocates to Hatboro
HATBORO >> When the coronavirus pandemic struck in March 2020, it immediately impacted every aspect of daily life. For Maternal Wellness Center — a Hatboro practice that provides mental health support for women, families and dads — there was an immediate uptick in requests for therapy.
That increase in demand for services has led to an expansion that included the addition of clinicians, additional services and a purchase and move to a building more than twice the size of its previous location.
In September Maternal Wellness Center moved from its Abington location to 67 Byberry Road in Hatboro, a 2,899-squarefoot Victorian-era building that owner Kellie Wicklund said was move-in ready.
As COVID-19 spread, stressors started very quickly for families, according to Wicklund, who launched the practice 15 years ago.
“They were going to appointments fully masked and were frightened. Providers began to reduce the volume of appointments at their offices to reduce the chance of exposure. People were getting less service than they were used to,” she said.
When daycare and schools began shutting down, women were left in a bind.
“Working full-time became untenable for many overnight. The families with the youngest children were feeling it the most. There were families where grandparents had helped with child care and who now couldn’t,” she added.
Maternal Wellness Center supports women and families through all stages of parenthood, augmenting traditional perinatal health care with support services including counseling and psychotherapy for peripartum mood and anxiety disorders, childbirth education, support groups, therapeutic massage and more.
In the fall, she said there was another spike in demand, when some daycare centers closed again, and many schools remained closed — using virtual learning.
“Six months into the pandemic, parents were feeling overwhelmed, and it wasn’t letting up,” Wicklund said.
When the state began shutting down businesses in mid-March, Maternal Wellness Center transitioned into a virtual provider — literally overnight.
“Our health records system had a virtual platform built in. We used it the next day — we made a very quick pivot.”
Throughout the pandemic, the practice saw patients in the office, masked and following CDC guidelines. Wicklund said about 5% of clients were coming in.
Since her staff has been fully vaccinated, Wicklund said the number of patients coming in has jumped over the past month to about 15% to 20% of clients.
Wicklund knew before the pandemic that she was outgrowing her 1,000-square-foot office across the street from Abington Hospital and had started to look for a new location. The business had seen 114% growth from 2018 to 2020 — growth she said was accelerated by the pandemic.
Six of the practice’s 16 jobs were added during the pandemic, and Wicklund said two additional clinicians will soon be coming on board.
She also launched “The Collective” as part of the practice, which provides the complementary cares services of several other local, women-owned businesses under one roof as well as additional resources.
As the deal started to move forward, Wicklund’s banker at Republic Bank recommended she meet with Seedcopa, a nonprofit certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration to assist with SBA 504 loans and promote economic development in communities in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
She worked with Marie Shires, vice president and relationship manager, Seedcopa. As a part of the Economic Aid Act signed into law at the end of December 2020, the loan request became eligible for SBA covered loan payments for three months, with no repayment necessary.
One of the advantages of the SBA 504 loan is its structure, according to Shires.
“The bank typically finances 50%, the SBA finances up to 40%, and there is a 10% down payment for the borrower,” she said. The SBA portion is a long-term fixed-rate, with borrowers able to lock in the rate for the life of the loan.
Wicklund said the 10% down payment instead of 20% made a “huge difference.”
Shires said she found Wicklund’s personality “infectious.”
“Her specialty is extremely interesting and obviously during COVID so many people have been coping with emotional circumstances,” Shires said, adding she has a passion for women-owned businesses. “Being a woman in this business myself, I am able to assist many of them and I feel a special connection.”
Shires added that one of the benefits of the program is that clients like Wicklund can turn their lease payments into a mortgage payment “to help create wealth” for themselves.
Wicklund said she is already thinking ahead and is looking to expand as the reputation of Maternal Wellness Center grows.
“I will go back to Seedcopa to make another purchase — we will run out of room here in not too long,” she said.
For more information about Maternal Wellness Center visit https://www. maternalwellness.org/. For more information about Seedcopa visit https://seedcopa.com./
“Her specialty is extremely interesting and obviously during COVID so many people have been coping with emotional circumstances. Being a woman in this business myself, I am able to assist many of them and I feel a special connection.”
Marie Shires, vice president and relationship manager, Seedcopa