SSM Health has introduced a program for patients on their birthing journey, giving expecting mothers a new resource.
The healthcare provider is expanding services to provide Doula support to expecting mothers through a partnership with DePaul Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital, and On Up, a grant-funded program from the St. Louis Department of Public Health.
The OB Care Centers at both hospitals provide expecting patients with a trained doula to support them throughout their pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care. The grant supports over 200 patients to receive care within the program and 11 doulas work within the program.
“The model we have created is that of collaboration. We are incorporating doulas as a part of our health care team. They are vital to the services we provide to our patients,” said Dr. Carolyn Pryor MD, FACOG, SSM Health Medical Director for St. Louis Maternal Services.
“The model we have created is that of collaboration. We are incorporating doulas as a part of our health care team. They are vital to the services we provide to our patients,” said Dr. Carolyn Pryor MD, FACOG, SSM Health Medical Director for St. Louis Maternal Services.
“We help patients learn how to advocate for themselves and educate them about the birthing journey pre-hospital,” said Lakisha Redditt, CHW-C, Doula.
Dr. Pryor said, “Community-based doulas are vital to addressing health disparities.” According to the health medical director, community-based doulas can build trust with patients who share common cultural values and lived experiences.
Serving as a resource to guide and support patients through their birthing journeys, the doulas will be an additional physical and emotional support system at no additional cost to the patient. This program was inaugurated to support patients with outlying factors that contribute to high-risk pregnancies.
“SSM Health Women’s Health Services is committed to providing safe and respectful care to all birthing people who choose our prenatal centers and hospitals to bring their most precious bundle into the world,” said Dr. Pryor.
“Our goal is not only to provide additional support for our patients but also to improve healthy birth outcomes by reducing rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and NICU admissions, increasing early and regular attendance at prenatal visits, and increasing breastfeeding initiation,” said Dr. Pryor. Each doula in the program has been orientated to SSM Health’s Women’s Health Services and has received specialty training to effectively support patients with substance use disorders and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) infants. In the program, patients connect with doulas early in their pregnancy and continue to build relationships throughout their prenatal experience. Doulas are present in person, by text, and virtually.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities, such as variations in quality healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias. Evidence from the National Institute of Health’s National Library of Medicine states that doulas can ease the labor and delivery process in a multifactorial capacity. “Doulas have been found to reduce cesarean section frequency, low birth weight, and premature labor.”
Being in the medical field can be taxing mentally, emotionally, and physically. Unfortunately in the state of Missouri doulas are not reimbursed for the services they provide to growing families.
According to Dr. Pryor during the two years it took to get this program running, the biggest challenge faced was trying to figure out how to cover the cost of the doulas. She said, “We’re hopeful that will change in the near future.” However, there is a House Bill that is looking to change how doulas are compensated. The “Missouri Doula Reimbursement Act”, under that Act, doula services are eligible for coverage throughout the state through MO HealthNet and health benefit plans. Direct payment to perinatal doulas will be contingent upon services rendered in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts.
In Redditt’s experience, she has had to create ways to ensure her services are available to pregnant women, including sometimes foregoing payments. “I offer a very very low rate to birthing people that are Medicaid clients,” she said.
There are “just so many benefits to [having] a doula during the pregnancy and postpartum experience,” said Dr. Pryor.
Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.
