James Yip, M.D. is stepping down after 19 years of providing teen prenatal care to the community with the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency to focus on his private medical practice.

Dr. Yip started with the County's Medical Access for Minor Mothers (MAMM) program in 1980 by providing care for pregnant teens. This program evolved into the Teenage Parent Program (TAPP) in 1981 after the county Health Services Agency (HSA) successfully applied for and received grant funding to expand the scope of services that were available to pregnant teens. Dr. Yip saw teen prenatal patients and supervised Nurse Practitioners providing obstetrics and family planning care.

At a time when less than 10% of community physicians were accepting new Medi-Cal obstetric patients, Dr. Yip held a personal mission to bring services to this part of the community.

Thousands of local residents have received care from Dr. Yip during his tenure. He participated in the development of "My Pregnancy," a teenage workbook that helped young mothers learn about having a healthy pregnancy. He also followed the teen pregnancy program through several different changes in location over time.

Teen prenatal care has now greatly developed in the community so that services are available countywide through HSA locations and private offices. School support and childcare systems have been greatly improved, parenting education is now readily available and social services and the HSA work together to keep teens in school.