662: Doula Care Gains Support, Helping Mothers Heal

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Friday, May 10, 2024. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

ALEX KEARLY 

There has been a lot of momentum around increasing access to doulas both at the federal level and at the state level in recent years.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO's Alex Kearly says 12 states and the District of Columbia now reimburse doulas for services in Medicaid.

KEARLY 

And that includes things like prenatal services like developing a birth plan, labor and delivery services, such as physical comfort measures, as well as postpartum services such as newborn education.

JOHNSON: 

Kearly says doula care is one of the most promising strategies to address maternal health disparities. Adding ASTHO members can help grow support for the approach.

KEARLY 

They can act as advocates for doula services, and can also, leverage the subject matter expertise that their maternal and child health programs or title five grantees have in providing maternal child health services, and presenting the data to sort of make the compelling case for why doulas are important as well.

JOHNSON: 

Doula care policies are covered in a new ASTHO blog article. You can read it using the link in the show notes.

Mother's Day is this Sunday. Concern for mental health among black mothers is why Kay Matthews created the Shades of Blue Project. She says too often these parents have to choose between their mental health and basic family needs.

KAY MATTHEWS: 

What we have learned over time is people do want to be focused on their maternal mental health or just any mental health complications, but they have basic needs that need to be met. So, we have merged the two together.

JOHNSON: 

Matthews says that merger involves community outreach, education, and direct support services, essentially helping mothers with basic needs to give them an opportunity to get healthy. She says programs like hers need more money to reach more people.

MATTHEWS: 

Funding programs that are centering around what is happening in our communities across the board, so access to more grant funding, because it's extremely imperative.

JOHNSON: 

Learn more about the Shades of Blue Project using the link in the show notes.

A federal plan to replace lead pipes used for drinking water headlines this week's View from Washington D.C. report. Here's our conversation with ASTHO's Jeffrey Ekoma.

Another Friday here on the newscast that makes two in a row. How's it going this week?

JEFFREY EKOMA: 

It's going good. It's been a great week so far.

JOHNSON: 

Let's kick off our conversation today talking about drinking water. Tell us what's happening with the administration and this plan to replace lead pipes?

EKOMA: 

Yeah, absolutely. Late last week, EPA announced that we'll be providing $3 billion from a bipartisan infrastructure law to help every state and territory identify and replace lead service lines preventing exposure to lead in drinking water. Now, the funding will be available through the EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. And furthermore, EPA also released a new memo clarifying how states can use this and other funding sources to reduce lead in their drinking water systems. So, really great news coming from the EPA.

JOHNSON: 

That's not the only issue you've been following on Capitol Hill. What are some of the others? It's almost like a potpourri, the menu is very long. Give us a rundown.

EKOMA: 

Yeah, there are many, many, many discussions happening on the Hill right now. You know, one topic that we also have been tracking really closely is drug shortages. And that's receive a considerable amount of attention in the last couple of weeks. No, just recently, the Center of Finance Committee released a proposal related to mitigating shortages to the Medicaid and Medicare programs, while FDA leadership has also discussed how they are addressing drug shortages, through testimony before Congress. There's also lots of discussions happening on the Hill right now related to the appropriations process, earmarks and the preference of funding for members going into FY 25, which begins on October one of this year, we've heard members talk about their preference regarding the length of funding for FY 25. Considering that we will need to be in a continuing resolution past October one, and also really how far past November election for that continuing resolution being placed for. So, it's great that those discussions are happening now and not happening closer to the end of the current fiscal year, which ends September 30. And it's something I will obviously continue to track very closely.

JOHNSON: 

I think it's also important to note that you're not only tracking these issues, but you're also going into the offices, you're visiting the Hill. You're up there talking to members about ASTHO priorities, what kind of feedback are you getting?

EKOMA: 

We've got really amazing and positive feedback from meetings that we've had with office or committee staff, it's been really great for them to hear about the amazing work that's happening across our country and state and territory public health departments. It is also great to get feedback from them, just about how amazing the work of our health officials and how they truly value that and they love to hear about stories as they're happening in the field. We also really look forward to many more meetings that we have scheduled in the next couple of weeks, and we hope to share any amazing things that we hear very shortly.

JOHNSON: 

We hope you will share those things and we also hope that you have a great weekend.

EKOMA: 

Absolutely, you too and hope to talk soon.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO monitors Congress and updates members with Legislative Alert emails, you can join the list, click the link in the show notes to sign up.

Finally, this morning ASTHO's latest profile of state and territorial public health is now available online. It includes data about the workforce, spending, and restructuring. Check it out using the link in the show notes.

Before we go a reminder also to follow this newscast on your podcast player and connect with ASCO on social media. We are on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

That'll do it for today. We're back Monday morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Happy Mother's Day weekend.