UTICA — Mohawk Valley Prenatal & Maternal Support (MVPMS) has received a $30,000 Health Equity Innovation Award (HEIA) from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield to support their Sister Circle: Black Birth & Breastfeeding Initiative (SC3BI) program. The awards program provides financial support to community programs that address racial and ethnic health disparities across Excellus BCBS’s upstate New York service area.
“Sister Circle” is a birth and breastfeeding initiative which provides and promotes doula services to women of color, with the goal of improving birth rates, birth outcomes and providing breast feeding and post-partum support.
“We are thankful to Excellus BCBS for providing us with a Health Equity Innovation Award which will strengthen our ‘Sister Circle’ program and provide vital support to women of color in our community,” Ashley Engram, Mohawk Valley Prenatal & Maternal Support program director, said.
“Our program will have an impact on birth outcomes and birth rates among black women in our area for years to come because we are focusing on long-term solutions and introducing new doulas into the community.”
As part of the program, MVPMS will provide culturally sensitive doula training to 10 women of color who are passionate about childbirth and breastfeeding. The course, which will be taught by DONA International Certified Doula Trainers, will train the women to be both birth doulas and includes lactation (breastfeeding counselor) support training.
Doulas are non-medical professionals who are trained to provide physical, emotional & informational support to assist and advocate for patients and their families. In the pregnancy setting, doulas provide emotional & informational support. They provide physical support & unbiased, nonjudgmental support during labor/delivery and assist with breastfeeding initiation immediately after delivery. Doulas provide continuity of care by providing emotional and informational support during the post-partum period.
After completing their training, the new doulas will partake in monthly business mentorship sessions for six months and be paired with 10 pregnant women of color.
“The doulas and the expectant mothers will attend “Sister Circles” hosted by members of MVPMS to discuss issues within pregnancy, fears and concerns about their upcoming labor/delivery experience and breastfeeding goals,” Engram said.
“The program will then follow up and monitor these women through their post-partum period to gauge the results and provide additional support.”
MVPMS is one of 20 nonprofit, 501©(3) organizations from across Excellus BCBS’s upstate New York service area including the Rochester, Central New York, Utica/North Country, and Southern Tier regions who received HEIA funding.
Organizations were invited to apply for HEIA grants to receive up to $30,000 to help fund initiatives, programs, and research that specifically target the root causes of health inequities, with a focus on addressing structural racism.
Applicants were assessed based on clear, defined goals and measurable results for reducing health disparities and improving health equity, and 20 grant recipients were selected following a comprehensive review process that included input from individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
The awards represent more than $520,000 in financial support for community programs that address racial and ethnic health disparities across the Health Plan’s upstate New York service area.
“We’re committed to supporting community partnerships and initiatives that directly target health disparities, promote access to care, and address the underlying social determinants of health,” Eve Van de Wal, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield regional president, said.
“We are proud to support this program because it directly addresses the disparity that exists for maternal health for women of color.”
Excellus BCBS is committed to supporting local organizations that improve community health. The company’s corporate giving follows all applicable laws and regulations and does not support funding organizations that conflict with its corporate mission, goals, policies or products.
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s Utica region encompasses Clinton, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego and St. Lawrence counties.
For more information about and the Sister Circle: Black Birth & Breastfeeding Initiative program, please visit MangerBornDoula.com/Community/SC3BI-Project
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Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a nonprofit health plan with 1.5 million upstate New York members. The company’s mission is to help people live healthier and more secure lives through access to high-quality, affordable health care. Its products and services include cost-saving prescription drug discounts, wellness tracking tools and access to telemedicine. With more than 4,200 employees, the company is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce to foster innovation and better serve its members. It also encourages employees to engage in their communities by providing paid volunteer time off as one of many benefits. To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com.