When it comes to improving maternal health outcomes in this region, the only place to go is up.  Missouri ranks 44th in the nation, and Kansas doesn’t fare much better. But the good news is a movement is brewing to tackle the disparities that make Missouri and Kansas bottom-performing states for perinatal health. 

Nonprofits, birth workers, community-based organizations, philanthropy, federally qualified health centers, and health systems are working collaboratively to improve maternal health outcomes in the region. Although the work is just starting, the promise of creating systems where all women prosper throughout prenatal and postpartum is both inspiring and urgently necessary. Stakeholders are gathering to identify gaps in perinatal care, address systemic barriers, and co-create a future where birth equity is no longer an aspiration, but a reality. 

Altruism, Inc. is one of these organizations. It deploys doulas, perinatal community health workers, and sometimes midwives to pregnant women and birthing people covered through Medicaid or who are uninsured. The 501 (c)(3) nonprofit is hosting its first annual Birth Equity Leadership Awards (BELA) Ceremony to recognize the many individuals and organizations invested in making Missouri and Kansas a haven for birth equity. The event takes place October 29, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Kauffman Foundation, 4801 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, Missouri.

“We’re bringing birth equity leaders together for an evening filled with music, art, and recognition for the work that they do,” said Tonia Wright, founder and CEO of Altruism, Inc. “Many of us often find ourselves in the same room. Not for a celebratory occasion, but as thought leaders and ideators to bring solutions to the table to combat the flagrant maternal health disparities we continue to see—especially for Black women and other women of color. On this night, we’ll celebrate those doing the work, and honor their tenacity for daring to change longstanding, systemic barriers circumventing positive maternal health outcomes for too many women in our region.”

The event includes a live DJ, refreshments, a maternal health art show, birth equity merchandise, an audio series that features the birth stories of area women who experienced trauma during labor and delivery, a presentation by Altruism’s full-spectrum doula Jasmine James, a keynote address delivered by Health Forward Foundation CEO Qiana Thomason, and a recognition ceremony that honors the following individuals and organizations:

  • Carla Gibson, REACH Healthcare Foundation
  • Janelle Harvey Jordan, SPHR, Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center
  • Karla Torain, MSN, RN, RNC-NIC, NEA-BC, Saint Luke’s
  • Katrina Stoddard, M.S., LMFT, LCMFT, Stoddard Family Therapy 
  • Kristy Flores, RN, BSN, University Health
  • Mariah Chrans, Ph.D., IBCLC, Community Health Council of Wyandotte County
  • Marvia Jones, Ph.D., MPH, KC Doula Program
  • Na’Tisha Smith, Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center
  • Qiana Thomason, Health Forward Foundation
  • Shalese Clay, Uzazi Village
  • Sharla Smith, Ph.D., MPH, Kansas Birth Equity Network
  • Tracy Russell, Nurture KC
  • Wendy Gimmarro, FOX4 Kansas City

Altruism is one of the newest organizations to join the birth equity movement. It was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, as health inequities for people of color were hard to overlook. Altruism, which initially branded itself as a nonprofit communications firm, quickly pivoted from media to maternal health to meet the moment. “I couldn’t unsee the maternal health statistics, especially for women who look like me,” Wright said. 

In July of 2022, Altruism rolled out a pilot that deployed doulas to pregnant women and birthing people who often experienced access barriers to quality care. One year later, it opened its first Maternal and Infant Health (MaIH) Center. By 2025, Altruism had partnered with Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center (SURHC) and opened a second MaIH Center co-located at their westside location. This fall, Altruism will open its third MaIH Center at SURHC’s main campus at 825 Euclid.

“Every day I hear a new story about a woman who wasn’t treated with dignity or who struggled to get the care she needed, and each one deepens my commitment to this work,” said Chrissey Breault, operations manager at Altruism, Inc. “Working alongside Tonia, whose passion is felt in everything she does, reminds me that each MaIH Center we open is another step toward women receiving the care and respect they deserve.” 

It’s safe to say, well-aligned strategic partners have catalyzed Altruism’s rapid growth, as have the nonprofit’s strong programmatic models. “We are thankful for the many partners and philanthropic organizations that continue to champion our mission,” Wright said. “But we are clear that we can’t program our way out of the deficit we face when it comes to maternal and infant health outcomes. We are now working at a systems-level by bridging community and clinical approaches to bring about pronounced improvements in maternal health.”

Altruism created a nine-module curriculum designed to help area health systems integrate doulas into their clinical teams. The nonprofit is working with an area hospital this fall to begin this work. “We expect great outcomes and hope to move from health system to health system, delivering this curriculum until integrating doulas into clinical teams is normalized. This will take time, but we remain fully committed, inspired, and optimistic about this work. With so many wonderful organizations working together to improve maternal health outcomes, don’t be surprised to see Missouri rise from the bottom to the top.”

To learn more about the BELA Ceremony or to RSVP, follow this link.