COLUMBUS, OH — September is National Infant Mortality Awareness Month. In recognition of this important month, the Ohio Legislative Children’s Caucus will host a webinar tomorrow to discuss the state’s Doula Medicaid Reimbursement Program and the state of Ohio’s doula professional community.
The program was created as part of House Bill 33 (Ohio’s FY 2024 and 2025 biennial budget). It is a strategy to address Ohio’s high infant and maternal mortality rates. Although Ohio has made progress on this issue, the state still struggles to prevent infant and maternal deaths.
- In 2023, Ohio’s infant mortality rate ranked 48th in the nation at 7.1 deaths out of every 1,000 births. The rate was even more dire for Black, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and multi-racial communities. Each group experienced an infant mortality rate above the national average for that year.
- The mortality rate for Black infants, in particular, doubled the rate for white infants.
- The maternal mortality rate was 24.5 deaths per 100,000 live births in Ohio, according to the March of Dimes.
- Ohio’s overall infant mortality rate improved in 2025 to 6.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to recent data, but the maternal mortality rate was worse at 25.4 deaths per 100,000 live births.
There is still a lot of work required to save the lives of infants and mothers following childbirth in Ohio. The Doula Medicaid Reimbursement Program is one of the key strategies to save more lives.
What: Ohio Legislative Children’s Caucus Webinar: Ohio Doula Medicaid Reimbursement Program
Where: This meeting will be on Zoom. Please register using this link.
When: 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Presenter: Elisabeth Burak, Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families
Panelists: Sharda Smith, Family Support Coordinator/Perinatal Support Doula, Birthing Beautiful Communities
Erica Gordon, Columbus Doula and Maternal and Infant Vitality Researcher, Wholistically Divine, LLC
Julie Gladney BS, LPN, IBCLC, Health Programs Coordinator Hocking Athens Perry Community Action and Appalachian Community Doula Training Program Coordinator
Nikki King RN, Board Certified Full Spectrum Doula, Childbirth Educator, Maternal Health Advocate, Founder of A Queen Empowering Queenz Inc and Safe and Sacred Care LLC
Logan Griffin, Birthworker/Owner & Director of Membership Enrichment, Guided Glory Doula Services & Blaq Birth Circle
Video recording will be made available for media upon request.
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