The MolinaCares Accord Presents Urban Baby Beginnings with $50,000 Grant to Support Doula Mentoring and Training
Media Contact: Ben Jackey, Ben.Jackey@MolinaHealthcare.com, (502-377-9484)
RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 7, 2023 – The MolinaCares Accord (“MolinaCares”), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Virginia (“Molina”), presented a $50,000 grant to Urban Baby Beginnings to provide over 150 hours in doula training and mentoring over the next six months to 10 perinatal specialists. The goal is to create healthier outcomes for mothers and babies in traditionally underserved populations.
According to the Virginia Joint Commission on Health Care, the maternal mortality rate of Black women in Virginia is over two times higher than that for white women. Factors that lead to high mortality rates include a lack of care coordination and overall pregnancy support, both of which face significant racial barriers.
“We are proud to support Urban Baby Beginnings’ initiative to reduce adverse outcomes and isolation experienced by families during the prenatal, postpartum and early childhood years,” said Bill Phipps, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Virginia. “Creating supportive environments for families in Virginia through new mentorship programs will help countless families thrive.”
For over 29 years, Urban Baby Beginnings has been a leading non-profit providing community support services specifically for pregnant and parenting families in Virginia. Through their certified community doula workforce training program, the team helps toproperly train doulas to enter the workforce and ensure they exceed the state-level requirements to provide care.
“With this partnership, Urban Baby Beginnings can provide the best level of support and mentorship to doulas and ensure that every patient has access to a high-quality, culturally tailored maternal health hub,” said Stephanie Spencer, executive director of Urban Baby Beginnings. “We thank Molina for their ongoing commitment to prenatal and postpartum services and ensuring safe perinatal outcomes for families in the commonwealth.”
About The MolinaCares Accord
Established by Molina Healthcare, Inc., The MolinaCares Accord oversees a community investment platform created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities. The MolinaCares Accord funds such measures through the Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc.
About Molina Healthcare of Virginia
Molina Healthcare of Virginia has been providing government-funded, quality health care since 2017. The Company serves members through Medicaid and Medicare programs throughout Virginia. Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, provides managed healthcare services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. Molina Healthcare served approximately 5.2 million members as of June 30, 2023, located across 19 states. For more information about Molina Healthcare, please visit molinahealthcare.com.
About Urban Baby Beginnings:
Urban Baby Beginnings is a 29-year-old non-profit dedicated to providing support and resources to families in the community through its maternal hub model. Maternal hubs are safe systems of support located in under resourced communities that connect pregnant and postpartum families to trusted partners and providers such as community doulas, perinatal health workers, clinical specialists and more. Urban Baby Beginnings has been a catalyst for change, working with the past and current administration to strengthen social support programming through workforce development, early childhood education, and maternal mental health support. The UBB program has received local, regional and national recognition for its efforts to reduce health disparities in maternal and child health. Learn more at https://urbanbabybeginnings.org/.