Advocacy

I'm a Doula for Health Reform!

Link here for information on our National Doula Advocacy Network.

Senators Durbin and Burris with HC One Doula Lobby Day Participants

Senators Durbin and Burris with HC One Doula Lobby Day Participants - March 11, 2010

HealthConnect One hosted sixteen members of our National Community-based Doula Network from seven states for lobby day in Washington, DC on Thursday, March 11, 2010, advocating for the passage of Health Reform legislation, as well as continued funding for community-based doula programs in the FY11 federal budget.

Health Reform

Health Care Reform legislation has passed into law, and is already creating significant positive change.

Public Law 111-148, HR3590: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed by President Obama on March 23, 2010.

We are pleased and excited about this historic legislation and what it means for Maternal and Child Health Programs. The new law includes two sections that have relevance to the community-based doula program:

Title V, Subtitle D, Section 5313, Grants to Promote the Community Health Workforce

Funds, to be appropriated, will be administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with the Secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services, to promote positive health behaviors and outcomes for populations in medically underserved communities through the use of community health workers. Use of the funds includes home visitation regarding maternal health and prenatal care. This section also provides a definition for a community health worker. Eligible entities include public and nonprofit private organizations.

Title II, Subtitle L, Section 2951, Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs

$1.5 billion is provided for home visitation services to states through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program to support services to pregnant women, young children and their families. States competing for these funds must conduct a statewide needs assessment to identify communities at risk, and are required to demonstrate improvements for the families they serve.

You can access the full text of HR3590: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act here.

Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), a champion of the community-based doula program, has been working to ensure that the community-based doula program is considered eligible under Section 5313, Grants to Promote the Community Health Workforce. He made remarks on the Senate Floor during Senate debate of HR3590, on December 23, 2009, wherein he mentions community-based doula programs specifically:

"I am encouraged by the language in Section 5313 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Grants to Promote the Community Health Workforce, and want to ensure that the definition of community health worker includes community-based doulas. The Federal Government currently funds community-based doula programs through the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's Special Projects of Regional and National Significance. Expanding the definition of community health workers in the reform bill will give these evidence-based programs greater support to meet the needs of families in underserved communities."

You can read Senator Durbin’s full statement for the Congressional Record by visiting www.thomas.gov or clicking here. We are very grateful for his support and the work of his staff. We will now advocate with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as they design health reform to ensure that community-based doula programs will be eligible for the Grants to Promote the Community Health Workforce, and we will keep you updated on our progress.

Federal FY 11 Funding

for Community-based Doula Programs

We have submitted a $3 million FY11 SPRANS appropriations request for community-based doula programs to Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL). $3 million is double the amount of the President’s doula-specific SPRANS request of $1.5 million, and will allow HRSA to expand the number of sites that receive federal funding. Please help support our request by visiting the Take Action page and emailing your Elected Officials using our online advocacy tool.

Federal FY 10 Funding

for Community-based Doula Programs

The current federal FY10 Omnibus bill includes $1.5 million for the community-based doula program. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will be distributing this funding through an open, competitive grants process. The Request for Applications was released in early June. HRSA is now reviewing applications and will be awarding six community-based doula programs and one leadership institute by September 1, 2010.

For background on federal funding for community-based doula programs, please link here.

Media on Doula

The HealthConnect One community-based doula model was highlighted on January 5, 2010 in There’s No Place Like Home published by the Center for American Progress, a Washington DC-based policy center. The report concluded that federal funding investment in home visiting programs, connecting women and their families to a broad range of services is critical to supporting low-income families. The community-based doula model was one of 5 home visiting programs noted.

Chicago ABC Channel 7 News reported on community-based doulas in Health Reform on May 22, 2010 - Doula becoming a household name.

The April 5, 2010 issue of the Journal Pediatrics included the article, The Burden of Suboptimal Breastfeeding in the United States: A Pediatric Cost Analysis, which studies the link between breastfeeding and cost-savings. Increased breastfeeding is a significant outcome of the community-based doula program, and we will be using the information from the article to strengthen our program and our messages concerning its effectiveness.