Elevance Health Foundation Invests $1.5 Million to Accelerate Doula Training with HealthConnect One

New training programs have launched in California, Georgia, Indiana, New York, Ohio, and Virginia.

Elevance Health Foundation recently announced a $1.5 million grant to HealthConnect One, an organization committed to expanding community-based doula care and addressing maternal health disparities. With this grant, HealthConnect One will launch new doula training programs with community-based organizations in California, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, New York, and Virginia.

Maternal and child health challenges persist across the country, including high pre-term birth rates and access to preconception, prenatal, and postnatal care. One approach to address these concerning trends includes offering doula support to women during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period. According to a recent study, doula care improves maternal health outcomes by reducing caesarean and preterm births, lowering postpartum depression, and enhancing breastfeeding rates.

“Increasing access to care is crucial to improving maternal and infant health outcomes,” said Shantanu Agrawal, MD, Chief Health Officer of Elevance Health. “HealthConnect One has elevated the critical role that doula support plays in guiding women through pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Through partnerships with organizations like HealthConnect One, we are strengthening the delivery of personalized care and support—ultimately fostering healthier families and communities.”

HealthConnect One has built an infrastructure to scale doula services within communities across the country. Their innovative program, "Advancing Inclusive Community-Based Birth Worker Support," has formed new partnerships with local organizations in California, Georgia, New York, Indiana, Ohio, and Virginia. These collaborations involve community needs assessments, strategic planning, and frameworks to improve access to culturally competent doula care.

HealthConnect One has announced the following local partners in each state:

• O. Community Doulas, Sacramento, CA
• Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
• Volunteers of America, Ohio and Indiana, Indianapolis, IN
• Queens Village Columbus, Columbus, OH
• The Birthing Place Foundation, Bronx, NY
• Kennedy's Angels Gowns, Norfolk, VA

This partnership with HealthConnect One has been part of Elevance Health Foundation's $30 million commitment over the past three years to invest in programs that support the whole health and well-being of women and their babies across the country, including grants focused on expanding the maternal health workforce. During this period, the Foundation has supported the training of 4,000 maternal health workers, including those trained by HealthConnect One. This number is expected to increase with the launch of this next phase of HealthConnect One’s grant.

“This investment from Elevance Health Foundation has been a game-changer for maternal health equity,” said Dr. Twylla Dillion, President and CEO of HealthConnect One. “It has sent a clear message: community-based doulas are essential to the health and well-being of birthing families. Now is the time to invest in the people who have always held our communities through birth and beyond. If you’ve ever considered becoming a doula—or supporting one—this is your moment. Join us in building a future where every birthing person has access to trusted, culturally reflective care.”

As part of the launch of this program, HealthConnect One has begun recruiting women interested in a career in doula care. Women living in California, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, New York, and Virginia who have considered becoming a doula are encouraged to learn more: www.healthconnectone.com/doulaform

The path to becoming a community-based doula involves participation in comprehensive training that includes coursework and practical experience. Community-based training models ensure doulas provide personalized care to their clients and teach doulas how to advocate for their clients effectively within the healthcare system.

About Elevance Health Foundation

Elevance Health Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health Inc. The Foundation works to improve the health of the socially vulnerable through partnerships and programs in our communities with an emphasis on maternal-infant health; behavioral health; and food as medicine. Through its key areas of focus, the Foundation also strategically aligns with Elevance Health's focus on community health and becoming a lifetime, trusted health partner that is fueled by its purpose to improve the health of humanity. To learn more about Elevance Health Foundation, please visit or follow us @ElevanceFND on X and Elevance Health Foundation on Facebook.

About HealthConnect One

HealthConnect One is a nationally recognized nonprofit training and technical assistance agency that uses innovative, community-centered approaches to support direct-service providers in promoting the health of mothers, infants, and birthing families. Operating with the awareness that birth equity is fundamental to racial equity, HealthConnect One collaborates with community-based organizations and advocates, to train community health workers, connect community-based initiatives, and mobilize diverse stakeholders to build policies and programs that improve birth equity. Learn more about our work here: https://healthconnectone.org/about-us/.

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With this grant, HealthConnect One will launch new doula training programs with community-based organizations in California, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, New York, and Virginia.