Missouri ranks 44th, among the lowest in the nation, for maternal health outcomes. And when it comes to maternal mortality, more than 70% of those deaths were deemed to be preventable, according to the state’s Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review (PAMR). Two organizations are joining forces to address maternal and infant health outcomes in the Kansas City area—Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center and Altruism Media, Inc. (dba Altruism, Inc.). Through this partnership, birthing people will have access to perinatal and community doulas throughout their pregnancies and after they give birth. Many of these individuals would not otherwise be able to afford or gain access to doula services. 

Doulas are non-clinical professionals who provide emotional and physical support to a pregnant person from the time they learn they are pregnant until at least one-year postpartum. “This partnership allows Sam Rodgers and Altruism to truly provide closed-loop, wraparound care to women and birthing people who need it the most,  said Tonia Wright, founder and CEO of Altruism, Inc. ”

Sam Rodgers, a federally qualified health center with community roots that penetrate nearly 60 years, offers prenatal and postpartum care for pregnant women and birthing people, coupled with pediatrics, behavioral health, WIC, dental, community health worker support, among many other services. 

“What’s great about this partnership is that pregnant women come to one place to get all of their maternal health needs met,” said Janelle Harvey Jordan, chief operating officer at Sam Rodgers. “They’ll go through one door for doula services. And just a few steps away they have access to obstetric care, pediatrics, WIC, and dental services. We are creating a new model for maternal health care that is specifically designed to mitigate adverse outcomes when these women give birth at one of our area hospitals.”

Altruism, a community-based organization that serves both rural and urban communities, launched its first pregnancy center, The Maternal and Infant Health (MaIH) Center, two years ago in rural Lafayette County. The MaIH Center provides doulas, midwives, and perinatal CHWs to support birthing people who are without insurance or covered through Medicaid. Its clients have access to a free diaper bank, food as medicine through a partnership with University Health’s FoodFARMacy program, mental health services, clothing, supplies, care coordination, and other support to help birthing people from prenatal and throughout postpartum.

Thanks to this partnership, Altruism will open a second MaIH Center housed at Sam Rodgers’ Cabot location (2121 Summit) to deepen its reach throughout the Kansas City area. “Working with Altruism to improve maternal health outcomes in the communities we serve comes at a critical juncture,” Jordan said. “What we know for sure is that doulas are instrumental in improving maternal health outcomes—the data proves it.”

According to a study published by the NIH that analyzed 722 pairs of Medicaid enrollees and compared maternal health outcomes for those who had doula support and those who did not, 46% of those with doula support were more likely to attend a postpartum visit than those who did not. Women with doulas also had 47% fewer C-sections, and 29% fewer preterm births. The health results of this study were consistent for both Black and white birthing people. It is also important to note that these health benefits only scratch the service when it comes to the impacts doulas make.

“The mortality rate for Black women and birthing people in the U.S. is at least three times higher than that of white women,” Wright said. “And in the state of Missouri, Black mortality rates for birthing people are comparable to the national average.  The timing of this partnership couldn’t be better. Birthing people will have access to doulas who provide culturally competent care, and who reside in their own communities during their prenatal and postpartum journeys. The ability that doulas have to connect with the clients also plays out during labor and delivery. They advocate for the needs and preferences of that birthing person, and they close the cultural disconnects between the provider and the patient.  This partnership is truly a win-win, and we can’t thank Sam Rodgers enough.”

There’s another aspect to this partnership that makes the timing more than perfect. Sam Rodgers will open its new pediatric wing this fall. “The patients we see who have built trusted relationships with their doulas and providers here at Sam Rodgers will also have access to a state-of-the-art, 40-room pediatric wing that is under construction at 825 Euclid, our main campus,” Jordan said. “That location will also serve as a one-stop shop for maternal health and pediatrics. We are proud to provide this level of care to the patients we serve. It’s quality care in their own backyards.”