Strengthening Support Systems for Black Parents
A PREVIEW of the upcoming CHC: Creating Healthier Communities Black Birthing Initiative Impact Report
Through funding from Elevance Health Foundation, CHC launched a 3-year project, The Black Birthing Initiative (BBI), in January 2022. The BBI offers non-clinical support addressing racism, stress and social determinants of health.
The BBI emphasizes comprehensive needs assessments and community-led partnerships to address the maternal health crisis. Connect with us for the upcoming full report in July 2024.
We envision a world where every person in every community has an opportunity to live their healthiest life.
Since January 2022, I have been proud and humbled to watch as the Black Birthing Initiative (BBI) has grown from an ambitious concept on paper to a thriving initiative that has a daily impact on the lives of over 360 Black birthing people and families. The growth and viability of this initiative would not have been attainable without the founding support of the Elevance Health Foundation and certainly, not without the committed work of our invaluable BBI implementation partners.
We look forward to sharing the full scope of this work and our findings in the upcoming impact report in July 2024. We will continue to build upon our successes and help support a future where everyone can thrive.
Valerie L. Rochester
Chief Health Equity Officer
CHC: Creating Healthier Communities
Our Approach to Community Strategies and Solutions
Community Informed and Led | Fidelity Focused | Evidence Driven | Equity and Justice Centered
Maternal health outcomes in the United States lag behind those of most high-income countries. Too many pregnant women and new moms are dying from preventable deaths. This is especially true for Black women, who are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. Black women are also about 50% more likely to deliver a premature baby than White women.
Through funding from Elevance Health Foundation, CHC launched a 3-year project, The Black Birthing Initiative (BBI), in 2022. Working in partnership with local and national organizations, CHC’s Equity and Impact Department collaborates on strategies and solutions to the barriers to health equity. CHC focuses on the social determinants of health drivers that affect the social, economic, and physical conditions in which people live.
Partner engagement enhances capacity, increases recruitment and fosters growth.
Before launching the BBI, CHC established trusted partnerships with eight organizations in Atlanta, Cleveland, and Indianapolis. These partnerships ensured the initiative was community-centered and informed. Additionally, CHC collaborated with research partners to execute the initiative faithfully. Investing in these partnerships was crucial, as they provided invaluable time, insight, and ongoing engagement.
Implementation of the Black Birthing Initiative has entered its third year and, thanks to the commitment from the funded partners, the intervention is on its way to achieving its intended goal. Thus far, CHC has worked to support our partnering organizations in enhancing the perinatal workforce development by supporting 15 birth advocates to receive equitable compensation for their invaluable services. In addition to the full-time equivalent birth advocates dedicated to serving the mothers in the BBI, CHC has also supported the hiring of contingent doulas to support the ongoing need of birth advocates and clients.
The BBI has successfully screened 310 Black Birthing and pregnant people to determine eligibility for enrollment into the program. There are currently 174 black women enrolled in the program who have begun receiving services.
During the screening process, an intake/baseline survey is provided that includes social determinants of health, stress, and mental health measures that can lead to preterm birth. Throughout the program, the participants are provided warm handoff referrals to help participants overcome their identified SDOH needs.
As more women have successfully gone through the program, there has been a decrease in stress, SDOH, and mental health needs that were identified at baseline. Pregnant people have noted an 8% decrease in stress related to maintaining pregnancy health and a 15% decrease in stress related to balancing pregnancy needs with life obligations.
Since January 2022, CHC has worked cohesively with the implementation partners to:
Enhance capacity and enrollment in non-clinical services
BBI grantees now have the resources to offer enhanced and personalized care. Communities are better equipped to address social determinants of health through seamless referrals to resources, enhancing overall well-being and healthcare access.
Activate existing resources and networks
Communities benefit from a network of support and expertise built on peer-to-peer relationships, resulting in more comprehensive and effective healthcare interventions.
Foster mutual support and growth
Collaborative efforts between CHC and its partners have led to mutual support, fostering a culture of learning and growth. Findings from this have been shared in ongoing communications and the recent BBI convening.
CHC held its first ever Black Birthing Initiative (BBI) Convening in Atlanta on February 5-7, 2024. Facilitated by CHC and Enlightened Solutions, the convening provided grantees with a space to share BBI progress and preliminary outcomes.
The community needs assessment survey aims to include 4,800 Black women and birthing people across multiple states. Through insights from this survey, CHC will improve maternal care and support, reducing the disparities that contribute to adverse health outcomes for Black women and birthing people.
At CHC, we believe that true progress begins with listening to and centering the experiences of those most impacted by systemic injustice. By disseminating this needs assessment survey, we aim to shine a spotlight on the pervasive impact of racism and stress on Black maternal health outcomes, empowering our community to demand and receive the care they deserve.
The insights gleaned from this survey will serve as a guiding light for future maternal health programs, tailored to directly address the pressing needs identified within the Black pregnant and postpartum community. From advocating for systemic changes to enhancing access to culturally competent care, our mission for the BBI is clear: to dismantle barriers and ensure that every Black woman and birthing person receives the respect, support, and dignity they deserve.
BBI Needs Assessment Markets: California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
For more information on how you can get involved, contact us for interest in sharing this survey and help share our needs assessment.
Additional findings will be released in July 2024 with the full report and at the conclusion of the program. The assessment utilizes the Healthy Pregnancy Stress Scale to measure among those that complete the assessment. On average, on a scale from 1 to 6, 1 being (not at all a source of stress during pregnancy) and 6 being (very high source of stress during pregnancy). Although the survey is open to all Black women and birthing people, all respondents identified as women.
Community outreach has successfully yielded 315 responses to the BBI Needs Assessment.
71% of participants were pregnant, while the remainder were three months postpartum.
80% of participants responded close to 4 on the stress scale for various stress related statements.
Nearly all participants noted they had some form of support with partner support at 70%.
Over one-third of participants also noted they had doula or birth advocate and 67% of those were connected to resources.
More than half of participants worried about food.
The assessment uses a variety of questions to determine social determinants of health needs of survey participants. Questions included have a specific focus on food security, ability to afford bills, housing stability and other social related needs that can contribute to adverse health outcomes in Black pregnant people. A little over half of participants noted they were worried they would run out of food before they had money to buy more.
Childcare and work obligations among high stressors.
The assessment utilizes the Healthy Pregnancy Stress Scale to measure among those that complete the assessment. On average, on a scale from 1 to 6, 1 being (not at all a source of stress during pregnancy) and 6 being (very high source of stress during pregnancy), 80% of participants responded close to 4 for various stress related statement such as stress related to work obligations, balancing personal pregnancy needs, and securing childcare while being pregnant.
To learn about more impactful data on the SDOH and birth outcomes as a result of the BBI sign up to receive the announcement of the full impact report
Program Grantees and Participants
"The beginning stages of the BBI are going great. I appreciate the CHC team’s thoughtfulness and transparency during the formative work stage. I am confident that this will be a great collaborative initiative among the organizations."
Jazmin Long
Executive Director
Birthing Beautiful Communities
“I feel that I have gained skills knowing how to ask questions to providers, knowing that I have a voice to be heard, that I have to give consent for services, and learning to also re-trust medical professionals despite my bad experience in my last pregnancy.”
Kenya
Participant
Birthing Beautiful Communities
“When I first found out that I was expecting... There was a lot of stress and emotions coming with it. My emotional state wasn’t the best... Now I have a better grasp on things because I know the options that I have and know that I have an extra level of support that I didn’t have months ago.”
K Hall
Participant
Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia
