The Maternal Health Crisis

Black women in Baltimore are 2.25 times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than their White counterparts. Medicaid eligible Black mothers are at an ever higher risk for negative birth and postpartum outcomes. Birth work has a long tradition in black communities. Doulas of color are an integral part of the well-being of new families. Doulas have been shown to be especially effective at improving birth outcomes and maternal health in communities with the highest disparity.

What is a doula?

Doulas are professional labor assistants and advocates who provide non-medical physical and emotional support during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. In response the maternal health disparity crisis, Maryland Medicaid recently added reimbursement for doula services. The registration process is complex and designed for medical professionals.

The History of Doula ID

DoulaID is a grassroots project that supports doulas as they navigate the complex process of training, certification, and registration. 

Over the last year DoulaID has teamed with community doula organizations to manually enroll culturally congruent doulas with Medicaid. In collaboration with the Maryland health department, we are identifying how to improve successful enrollment of doulas. This effort is strengthening the doula network in Baltimore with Medicaid registered doulas who can access sustainable income while helping the clients who need them the most.

As the parent company of DoulaID, RootsID is leveraging our digital identity ecosystem to power the DoulaID app. DoulaID helps doulas navigate the complexities of a healthcare system that was built for doctors including; training, enrollment, scheduling, and payment. DoulaID allows users to focus on what really matters, healthy mothers and babies.