BUFFALO, N.Y. — On the campus of Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo, there is a new maternal health equity center.
Catholic Health and Calming Nature will offer education and help for new and expecting moms in Buffalo.
Health disparities and problems surrounding women during childbirth have been a growing concern.
New York State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said "Motherhood is learned, it's not innate. You don't just grow up and understand how to be a mother. You have to learn that, and if you didn't necessarily get it from your community environment and your mom, there's a doula who can help you get through that process. It's critical, because not just for your safety and your development, but for the safety of your child."
The center, located on Main Street. plans to have staff who will work to dispel health disparities based on various factors.
Joyce Markiewicz, CEO of Catholic Health said the hospital "recognizes that, as a medical provider, we haven't always gotten it right, especially for patients of color, but we are committed to listening, learning, and dedicating our resources to do better. My pledge as a CEO of Catholic Health is to do everything I can every day to support our caregivers and their sincere commitment to be the quality and safety leader for everyone under our care."
"Doula Navigators" will be provided.
Coordinator Rachel Tibold said resources will be available.
"I believe that all women that are giving birth here in Western New York, especially at Sisters Hospital, they should all have doulas. And so we are supporters. We support the mom's prenatal, and we also support them during the birth and postpartum as well. And so with our whole maternal health equity program and being so close here on the campus at Sisters Hospital, we're able to help women of all backgrounds. We have iPad translators for those who have a hard time, with a language barrier, we're able to assist them. We have the iPads with translators. We have the doulas that we could support and help them. We have yoga here, prenatal yoga, so we have many different other programs set up for the women to be successful."
It's about making sure moms are heard and cared for, according the Shannon Johns. "We're going to be providing quality, inclusive services to women that don't feel like they're always included, that don't feel like they're always being heard or they don't have that level of trust and rapport with the health care system that they should have provided them with quality services."
Close to 3,000 babies are delivered at Sisters Hospital every year.