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NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst is one of the two borough hospitals participating in the new doula program.
By Forum Staff
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens, also known as Queens Hospital Center, and the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have launched the HoPE Doula Program for pregnant people.
The HoPE Program, or Helping Promote Birth Equity through Community-Based Doula Care, provides community-based doula support, free-of-charge, to any pregnant person seeking care at either Elmhurst or Queens Hospitals. Doula care has been associated with better birth outcomes for parents and babies. Patients at the two hospitals will be matched with a doula for the duration of their pregnancy and post-partum care. The program is an integral part of the public health care system’s response to addressing the disparities in maternal mortality among people of color.
Derived from the Greek word meaning “woman servant or caregiver,” a doula is employed by the parent(s)-to-be as their continuous caregiver during the pregnancy and birth. The role of the doula is to be there the whole time to provide emotional support as well as to inform and empower the parent.
According to officials, the doulas affiliated with Elmhurst and Queens Hospitals’ HoPE Program are from two well-established community-based doula organizations: Ancient Song Doula Services and Caribbean Women’s Health Association. There will be 20 Queens-based doulas in the program. These doulas will be matched with patients based on neighborhood, language, and ethnicity. Once matched, that doula will remain engaged with their client through prenatal, birthing, and postpartum care. Patients will be referred for doula services by their clinical providers, including social work providers and the maternal medical home coordinator. Doulas are compensated based on the time they spend with each client.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst worked closely with a specially-convened Community Advisory Board comprised of postpartum women, local community-based organizations, stakeholders from Elmhurst and Queens Hospitals, and from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, to shape the development, implementation, and evaluation of the HoPE Doula Program. Discussions included taking into consideration the community’s needs, design and evaluation of the HoPE Program, publicizing the program to the community, and accountability systems for the program. The Community Advisory Board will conduct monthly two-hour workshops through the remainder of 2022.
Doula care has been associated with better birth outcomes for parents and babies, such as shorter labor, fewer Cesarean sections, the promotion of breastfeeding, and an overall positive birth experience. Specifically, community-based doula care is even better suited to reduce maternal and infant health disparities by connecting birthing parents with local resources and providing ongoing social and emotional support. Doulas are trained to provide non-clinical emotional, physical and informational support for people before, during, and after labor and birth.
The HoPE Doula Program is a collaborative effort led by NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and Queens, the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Ancient Song Doula Services, Caribbean Women’s Health Association, and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The work is being funded in part through a $455,000 grant from Robin Hood, New York City’s largest poverty-fighting philanthropy.
