In the heart of Southwest Georgia, a cadre of Black women are at the vanguard of a movement aimed at upending a grim reality. As the Morehouse School of Medicine's first cohort of Perinatal Patient Navigators — rural doulas trained to assist during childbirth and beyond — they represent hope in a landscape where access to maternity care has been dwindling and maternal mortality rates soar. Georgia's crisis, captured in a recent analysis by KFF, points to one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation, with Black women more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications compared to their white counterparts.
An initiative helmed by Morehouse School of Medicine is emerging as a possible antidote. "We're developing a workforce that's going to be providing the support that Black women and birthing people need," Natalie Hernandez-Green, the executive director of the Center for Maternal Health Equity, told WABE. This response echoes through the halls of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, the only hospital serving the area, where countless women, including Bristeria Clark, have navigated the uncertainties of childbirth. Clark, now part of the pioneering group of doulas, recounted her own experiences with cesarean sections, both emergency and planned, recognizing the profound impact that dedicated support could have had on her journey.
While the training and intent behind the Perinatal Patient Navigator program carry the potential for transformative effects, concerns about the durability of such efforts linger. The program, funded by a $350,000 annual grant, affords a stipend to its graduates and a one-year salary as they begin practicing. However, sustainability remains a pressing question. As Rachel Hardeman, a leading health and racial equity expert, pointed out to WABE, "It's not sustainable if you’re chasing the next grant to fund it." Her studies have revealed that when Medicaid covers doula services, as it has in over a dozen states including Minnesota, there's not only substantial cost savings but a marked enhancement in maternal health outcomes.
The program mirrors experiences in other states where Medicaid has covered doula services, hinting at a broader acceptance and recognition of their value in supporting maternal health. With its first two sites in Albany and Atlanta, Morehouse’s Perinatal Patient Navigators initiative is at the forefront of addressing a statewide health emergency with far-reaching implications. As noted by Hernandez-Green in the statement obtained by WABE, the end goal is ambitious yet singular: "And we’re about to change that one person at a time."
