(P06) Leveraging Community Collaboration to Improve Black Birthing Outcomes

The Black Birthing Initiative (BBI) is a research study and community-level intervention that aims to decrease the incidence of preterm births (PTB) among Black women and birthing people by assessing SDOH needs, stress, and medical racism. The central theory is that by decreasing impact of stress among Black birthing people and addressing the negative outcomes of uneven access to SDOH-related services, PTB rates will decrease.

CHC developed the core elements of the initiative to include providing pregnant women in Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Atlanta (focus cities) with doula-based case management, prenatal education, prenatal medical advocacy and training, birth planning and labor and delivery accompaniment, and social or group interactions.

What underscores the BBI is the understanding that the answer to health disparities lies in the communities most impacted and that public health is stronger when we dismantle silos and work together. Thus, CHC supports Black women-led organizations to work collaboratively to reach more pregnant Black people and implement the BBI.

The BBI is a three-year initiative and is in its second year. The BBI aims to serve 432 women across focus sites in the two-year implementation period. The success of the BBI would not be possible without the trust that we have built with our grantee partners, which is rooted in transparency, fidelity, and community voice. CHC believes in building programs within communities and serves as a supporter of the amazing work they have been doing for centuries.