02/24/2020
It was such an honor for me to attend the VNPC perinatal and infant mortality summit. This topic is very depressing but this discussion was definitely needed. Iβm so proud of the work that our state is doing to generate better outcomes for mothers and babies here in Virginia. It was so nice to share my ideas with the governor about some things that he can do to get more people of color working in the health field. I enjoyed speaking directly to a member of the cdc about systemic racism and how them collecting data isnβt enough. These racist doctors need to be held accountable! There are computer programs being developed to collect this national data and there are people like me who show up at the table and say enough is enough! Our state is also moving to have doula services covered by Medicaid and that is a huge win for Virginia. We are making some positive changes in the birth community and Iβm so happy that I was able to be a part of the discussion today. I loved being able to represent my organization Beautiful Baby Birth Services. I really enjoyed networking with such likeminded individuals who respect my role as a doula! π
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