Doula access in New York is still limited to those who have the resources to afford it. Few programs offer doula support to birthing people who are from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and could greatly benefit from doula services. Increasing access to doulas will help to improve maternal health inequities for Black women and birthing people – and doulas deserve a living wage for the vital role they play in improving birth outcomes. 

The NY Coalition for Doula Access (NYCDA) is actively working to determine an equitable Medicaid reimbursement structure for New York-based doulas by 2023.

Please join us for an interactive town hall webinar to learn more about NYCDA's work, get involved in this important project, and share your ideas about what an equitable Medicaid reimbursement structure might look like to improve doula access in New York state!

Presenters

• Patrizia Bernard, Doula Advisor, Clinical & Community Partnerships, Citywide Doula Initiative and Maternity Hospital Quality Improvement Network, Bureau of Maternal, Infant, and Reproductive Health, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, & Co-Lead, NYCDA 

• Marek Lis, Collaboration Architect and Founder, Alchemy Insights

• Michelle Zambrano, Program Director, Health Leads, & Co-Lead, NYCDA