Impact Report JUNE 2024 - JUNE 2026
Equipping families to have healthy births with dignity and reduce maternal health disparities.
IMPACT REPORT
table of contents 2 OKBEI Overview 3 Letter from the Executive Director 4 State of Maternal Health in Oklahoma 5 Branches of OKBEI 6 Doula Care Services 8 Client Spotlight 10 Doula Workforce Development 11 Expansion 12 Hospital Quality Improvement 14 Queens Village 16 Community Engagement 17 Renewing Your Commitment to Birth Equity
OVERVIEW
IMPACT REPORT
Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative Since 2019, the Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative (OKBEI) has worked closely with local community partners in a collaborative effort to explore and implement evidence-based strategies that address clear gaps in how we address maternal conception, pregnancy, mortality, and morbidity. PAGE 2
IMPACT REPORT
A Letter from the Executive Director Over the past two years, OKBEI has charted new waters. Our transition from Tulsa Birth Equity Initiative to the Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative marked more than a name change; it reflected our growth, our expanding reach across Oklahoma, and our continued belief that every woman deserves access to quality, community-centered support, including doula care. With growth has come learning. We have learned a great deal about who we are as an organization, what it takes to grow with intention, and the importance of ensuring that community voice remains at the center of every step forward. As we celebrate what we have accomplished, we are also strengthening our foundation so we can continue supporting women while pushing through the barriers that have contributed to disparities in our state for far too long. No woman should be denied quality care because of her race, economic status, or geographic location. We will continue pushing toward a system worthy of women’s trust, a system where Black and Brown women are listened to, believed, respected, and supported. The past two years have shown us how far we have come, while reminding us there is still much work ahead. - Omare Jimmerson, MPH
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IMPACT REPORT
State of Maternal health in Oklahoma Black Women
Native Women
3.7X
2.8x
higher pregnancy-related mortality rate as white women
higher pregnancy-related mortality rate as white women
Black and Native women in Oklahoma
2x more
likely to have a near miss during childbirth than that of white women
The data shows that Oklahoma’s overall maternal mortality rate improved, but the improvement was not shared equally across racial and ethnic groups. Overall: 31.9 29.0 per 100,000 live births — 9.1% decrease
→
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White women: 22.8 19.2 — 15.8% decrease Native women: 67.5 53.7 — 20.4% decrease Black women: 70.0 71.6 — 2.3% increase Hispanic women: 28.6 31.1 — 8.7% increase
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The most striking point is that Black women continue to experience the highest maternal mortality rate—71.6 deaths per 100,000 live births, nearly 3.7 times the rate for White women. While Oklahoma's overall numbers are moving in the right direction, the racial disparities show why looking only at the statewide average can hide who is, and is not, benefiting from progress.
Progress cannot simply mean lowering Oklahoma’s overall maternal mortality rate. Progress must mean closing the gaps. When the statewide rate declines while mortality increases for Black and Hispanic women, we still have work to do. - Omare Jimmerson
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IMPACT REPORT
To address these disparities and their root causes, OKBEI has programs that serve individuals, communities, and systems. Doula Care Services Connects pregnant individuals to doulas who are of and from their community to provide valuable support and resources during the critical months of pregnancy, birth, and early parenting. Doula Workforce Development Equips people to serve their community as doulas through a 20-session course covering practical, hands-on skills. HOSPITAL QUALITY IMPROVEMENT Partners with hospitals and maternal healthcare providers to improve outcomes for all groups, particularly those facing inconsistent care during pregnancy and birth. QUEENS VILLAGE TULSA Builds a supportive community of powerful Black women who come together to relax, repower and take care of themselves and each other. PUBLIC AWARENESS & OUTREACH Participates in social media campaigns and events such as Black Maternal Health Week to boost understanding of maternal health disparities and how to address them. Data & POLICY Develops innovative, effective federal, state and local health policies that promote better pregnancy and birth outcomes. PAGE 5
IMPACT REPORT
Doula Care Services Doula care is non-clinical and offers physical, emotional, and educational support in a one-on-one setting. The effectiveness of the program emerges out of the trusting relationships built between the community-based doula and the client, the duration of the relationship through pregnancy and postpartum, and the continuous presence of the doula during labor and birth.
PERCENT OF PRETERM BIRTHS Black Clients
Tulsa County Black
All Clients
All Tulsa County
20 19 16.5
15
16.5
12.6
11.5
10
BLACK
NATIVE
11
11.5
9 BLACK
5 0
FY 2025
FY 2026
Tulsa County 2022-2024 Tulsa County 2022-2024
Community-Based Doula Services is OKBEI's flagship program. As a home visitation program, services begin early in pregnancy and continue through one-year postpartum. We celebrate our program graduates with a first birthday party.
Clients or patients enolled in Medicaid
64% in 2025
70% in 2026
Clients initiated breastfeeding/chestfeeding
81.6%
79.6%
in 2025
in 2026
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IMPACT REPORT
Time doulas spent in labor support 20 25
2,953 hrs 22.37 avg
20 26
3,391 hrs 24.75 avg
306
2 0 2 5
Clients received support during pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum
2 0 2 6
Clients received support during pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum
286
PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT WERE LOW BIRTH WEIGHT Black Clients
Tulsa County Black
All Clients
All Tulsa County
20 15
15.7
15.7 11.3
10 7.6
7
5 0
9.5
8.3
FY 2025
8.3
FY 2026
Tulsa County 2022-2024
A message from clients “My doula advocated for me, guided me through difficult moments, and helped me make the best decisions for my baby and myself. From breathing techniques to pain management and constant encouragement, she truly made my birth experience safer and more empowering.” “Having a doula gave me the confidence to speak up for myself and the comfort of knowing I was never alone. With my doula’s support, I found the strength to advocate for myself. I truly don’t know what I’d do without this program.” PAGE 7
IMPACT REPORT
“It felt like having a family member by my side. I felt seen and acknowledged, connecting with my doula through motherhood. I loved the experience and hope to have a doula for any future pregnancies.”
Naisha’s Birth Story
“While I was pregnant with my son, I didn’t take the time to really check in with myself. In the midst of parenthood, caring for the children I already had, being a wife, and being a student, I had forgotten all about me. So when my doula came by with check-in worksheets that helped me remain accountable to myself, it made a difference. Having that additional support person to remind me that I am deserving of care, and to check in with myself, was so very helpful.”
“There was a point during my labor when my son’s heart rate was not responding well to the Pitocin. I remember looking at, my doula, and she asked, what do you need? My response was, I need to sit up. I had no idea that sitting up would help his heart rate, but when I did, the issues stopped almost instantly. I remember the doctor saying, his heart rate is responding well to you sitting up. Afterwards, during a recap, she reminded me that as women, our bodies naturally know what we need. I didn’t truly know at the time that sitting up would help, but having that reminder allowed me to act, and it benefited the situation. It moved things along, and I had a smooth delivery.”
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IMPACT REPORT
“It was an amazing experience. I am a firm believer that an organization like this should be nationwide. Hopefully OKBEI can be the United States Birth Equity Initiative. I'm hoping that it expands further than Oklahoma, because it is so needed at a time.”
“My first baby came right after the COVID shutdown, and I delivered alone. I would compare it to a stoplight. That first delivery, having to be alone, was completely red. My second delivery, where I had my partner there, was okay, a yellow light, because my husband, though present, was more logical and less emotionally supportive. But my third delivery, where I had both my partner and my doula, was definitely a green light.“
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IMPACT REPORT
Doula Workforce Development
53
41
1,691
doulas graduated from training + apprenticeship
births shadowed by apprentices
apprenticeship hours completed
79
currently certified doulas eligible to bill Medicaid
Doula Directory updates The doula directory was revamped to make it easier for pregnant individuals to find and connect with community-based doulas. The directory works to create a workforce pathway for doulas by increasing their visibility and helping connect them to potential clients. This helps to ensure more families have access to community-rooted support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. PAGE 10
IMPACT REPORT
EXPANSION In 2024, we launched our statewide doula expansion initiative to increase access to doula care across rural Oklahoma by partnering with community organizations, health departments, and tech schools to train and support local community-based doulas. In the last 2 years, we have hosted 2 Train-the-Trainers across the state, resulting in 23 Certified Blossoming Birth Community Doula Trainers who are equipped with the skills and knowledge to host doula trainings that meet specific community and cultural needs. Doula trainings are scheduled for several rural communities at the start of fiscal year 2027. We’re excited to continue working with communities to expand the doula workforce in Oklahoma and make sure all birthing families have access to quality community-rooted care.
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IMPACT REPORT
Hospital Quality Improvement Hospital Quality Improvement supported 200 clinical providers, hospitals, and other healthcare programs on the road to ensuring equitable health outcomes for all Tulsans. Key components include the Team birth model, OBCOAP, and doula-friendly practices.
Our Hospital Quality Improvement programming has gone through significant changes over the past two years, but through that change, we have stepped up to the challenge and built stronger partnerships with hospital systems across Tulsa. Today, three of Tulsa’s four hospital systems have achieved TeamBirth certification, and two systems participated in OB COAP, providing chart-abstracted data that supports real-time quality improvement and helps hospitals better understand and improve the experiences and outcomes of birthing families. PAGE 12
IMPACT REPORT
Increase the number of Tulsa area hospitals with doula friendly practices
75% in 2025
100% in 2026
We have also made important progress in integrating community-based doulas into hospital care. The four major Tulsa hospital system now recognize OKBEI doulas as part of the care team during deliveries. We are building on that progress by working with anesthesia departments to create practices that allow uninterrupted doula support during cesarean births when requested by the patient. Beyond the hospital walls, OKBEI continues to strengthen relationships with providers and community partners, expanding referral networks in Tulsa and across Oklahoma. These partnerships are helping us build a more connected system of care; one where community voice, patient experience, and quality improvement work together to create better outcomes for families.
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IMPACT REPORT
QUEENS VILLAGE TULSA
"Queens Village ultimately fosters healthier outcomes for themselves, their children, and contributes to the reduction of Black infant mortality in Tulsa and beyond." — Proclamation of Mayor Monroe Nichols, City of Tulsa
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Over the last two years, Queens Village Tulsa has grown from a single baby shower into a year-round community for Black mothers in Tulsa. As a branch of the Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative, spaces are created where Black women can rest, repower, and care for one another. Our work now includes the Community Advisory Board, trained Village Aunties, QV Corner, a weekly rest space inside two Tulsa clinics, and no cost community events. Every event removes the barriers that keep mothers' home: food, childcare, and transportation support are provided. Our signature Black Mommas Baby Shower began with 44 mothers in 2024. Since then, it has celebrated 253 mothers with gifts, maternity portraits, and connections to doulas and other supports.
"The organizers of Queen Village did an excellent job of creating a supportive atmosphere with culturally sensitive prenatal care and discussions on maternal health disparities. They gave access to resources like doula services and lactation consultants. I particularly enjoyed the networking opportunities with other expecting mothers from similar backgrounds. Overall, it was a well put together event that left me feeling supported, informed, and empowered on my pregnancy journey." — Anonymous, Black Mama
IMPACT REPORT
Over the last 2 years, we have achieved the following milestones More than 1,130 participants, over 1,080 of them first-time guests 43% of shower intake-survey respondents already had an OKBEI doula 837 community touchpoints in 2026 alone 113 QV Corner connections from 23 zip codes in its first eight weeks 54% of contacts come from four North Tulsa zip codes (74106, 74126, 74127, 74110) Social media following more than doubled, from 834 to 1,773 100% of surveyed attendees felt treated with compassion; 63% heard about us from a friend or family member 96% said the event helped them build community.
253 Families served at annual Baby Shower
44
QV Hosted Events
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IMPACT REPORT
Community Engagement Community engagement at OKBEI can be summed up into 3 central goals: connect, educate, and motivate. We connect with our community through in-person events like info fairs, block parties, and social media. We educate through distributing informational materials and talking with community members about maternal health disparities and motivate community members to take action by inviting them into opportunities to partner with the work of OKBEI to shift disparities for Oklahoma families.
31
Community meetings or events 2025
12,032
2025 Event Attendees
37
Community meetings or events 2026
13,046
2026 Event Attendees
How to get involved DO YOU SHARE OUR VISION AND MISSION OF EQUIPPING FAMILIES TO HAVE HEALTHY BIRTHS WITH DIGNITY AND IMPROVING MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES? By contributing your time and skills, you’ll play a key role in creating a healthier, more supportive environment for mothers and children. PAGE 16
IMPACT REPORT
IRTH EQUIT B Y TO O DON NT AT A C
E
$20 provides a postpartum kit $40 provides a welcome home baby kit $50 covers all training materials for one Community-Based Doula (CBD) trainee $80 provides childcare for Doula training to remove barriers to further education $400 provides stipends to a CBD trainee for an entire cohort to remove barriers getting to class $1,000 provides everything needed for one person to complete CBD training
S
DONATION GUIDE
T EN
OUR COMM Y W ITM E N RE
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www.okbirthequity.org info@okbirthequity.org @Okbirthequity