In a first-of-its-kind partnership for Illinois, Partum Health is announcing that birthing patients at the University of Chicago Medicine Family Birth Center – Hyde Park now have 24/7 access to doula care. A team of full-spectrum doulas, staffed and trained by Partum Health and embedded within the inpatient Family Birth Center, will work alongside the provider team of UChicago Medicine to elevate birth care and improve health outcomes for both parents and babies.
Maternal health outcomes across the country and the state of Illinois continue to reflect gaps in the current system of care, including access challenges that contribute to higher rates of low-care/no-care pregnancies, preterm births, and maternal morbidity. These outcomes disproportionately impact underserved populations, with Black families and families with Medicaid insurance experiencing the most adverse outcomes.
Recent efforts at the state level have increased coverage for maternal health care, including doula support, which has been shown to improve outcomes for birthing individuals and babies. This new partnership between Partum Health and UChicago Medicine addresses the last mile by bringing this newly covered care directly to patients.
Patients with qualifying insurance at UChicago Medicine will have access to doula care during their labor and delivery, often at no additional cost to the patient. Many insurance providers in Illinois now reimburse for doula care, with more expected to follow pursuant to Pritzker’s Birth Equity Act. All doulas staffed and trained by Partum Health through this program are Illinois Medicaid Certified.
“Partnering with UChicago Medicine is a groundbreaking step toward our mission of ensuring every family can access the full range of mental, emotional, and practical support they need while navigating pregnancy, birth, and building a family,” says Meghan Doyle, CEO of Partum Health. “We’re thrilled to expand access to doula care with this innovative partnership and to make a real impact for families in our home city.”
Partum Health is a Chicago-based startup providing wrap-around perinatal health services from caregivers like doulas, lactation consultants, mental health therapists, physical therapists. Partum Health currently serves patients in Illinois, Texas, and Michigan.
Dr. Melissa Dennis, chief medical officer at Partum Health, co-leads the provider team of doulas with Giovanna Otavalo, a full-spectrum doula and birth educator. Dr. Dennis is a board-certified OB/GYN and previously served in several leadership roles at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, including Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Otavalo supports the hiring, training and continuing education of doulas at Partum Health nationwide.
“I’m focused on building care models that are evidence-based and patient-centered. This partnership with UChicago Medicine is both,” says Dr. Dennis. “Having doulas embedded in the labor and delivery unit strengthens collaboration with clinicians, expands access to comprehensive care, and helps advance more equitable maternal health outcomes.”
“The evidence is clear: continuous labor support improves outcomes and birth satisfaction,” says Otavalo. “The ability to provide outstanding care for birthing families, and in an underserved area of Chicago is in direct alignment with what doulas strive for. I am so proud to support a stellar team of doulas who are committed to providing evidence-based, non-judgmental care alongside the phenomenal providers at UChicago Medicine.”
Listen to Chief Medical Office Dr. Melissa Dennis's interview on WBBW Chicago:
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