Perinatal social worker at Loyola Medicine wins national award for excellence

Rasa Ragas, LSW, was awarded the National Association of Perinatal Social Work Award for Excellence at the organization's recent national conference.

Ms. Ragas is a perinatal social worker at Loyola Medicine, where she works with families in Loyola's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), obstetrics & gynecology department, labor & delivery department and high-risk obstetrics.

"For more than 25 years, Rasa has been fiercely devoted to this special population of patients," said Jessica Soos Pawlowski, director of care management at Loyola. "She is relentless in her advocacy for her patients and a mentor to so many social workers at Loyola and across the country."

Among Ms. Ragas' duties is the assessment of postpartum depression, including referrals, counseling for women with prolonged hospitalizations and high-risk pregnancies, and providing support for women who have experienced the loss of an infant.

"I enjoy having the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our smallest babies while supporting their families in times of crisis," Ms. Ragas said.

Ms. Ragas, of Westchester, Illinois, also publishes in the area of ethics and social work, especially related to infants of drug-addicted mothers.

Source: https://www.loyolamedicine.org/news/loyola-medicine-perinatal-social-worker-receives-national-award-excellence-10252017