Sonja and Diane knew that as an organization they could do better with their services for African-American women during pregnancy. The two nurse leaders, who’d also served as nurse midwives, began a program of active listening to improve their understanding of pregnant womens’ stories, observations, questions, frustrations…and so much more. As Sonja and Diane built “DIVA Moms” they worked to connect what they heard with what they and their colleagues did. Together, they built a different way.
Sonja and Diane tell Paul how they co-created DIVA Moms.
Guests
Sonja Batalden
CNM, MS, Nurse-Midwife & Director of Perinatal Care,Minnesota Community Care (MCC), St. Paul, Minnesota.
More about Sonja
Sonja Batalden Co-Directs DIVA (Dynamic, involved, Valued, African-American) Moms at MCC, a group of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) with 17 clinical sites, providing primary care services to populations in neighborhood health centers, housing projects, homeless shelters and high schools. DIVA Moms addresses inequities in birth outcomes for Black mothers and children. Prior to midwifery training at University of California San Francisco (UCSF), Sonja worked in Adolescent Foster Care and directed a Robert Wood Johnson grant for homeless families. Sonja has practiced midwifery in public health settings at Emory University Grady Hospital in Atlanta, Yale Faculty Practice, Yale New Haven Hospital Women’s Center, and at MCC. After years focused on intrapartum clinical teaching, her current focus is shaping innovative models of care for community and cultural needs among diverse populations. Sonja was a fellow in the Duke-Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Program focused on funding of comprehensive perinatal services in the FQHC setting.
Sonja speaks with Paul about her program development experience with DIVA Moms.
Diane Banigo
DNP, APRN, CNM, M.S.,Social Architect and Nurse-Midwife Health Consultant.
More about Diane
With over 19 years of experience in maternity care and women’s health, Diane Banigo passionately supports people from all walks of life. Dr. Banigo champions systemic equity with a particular interest in fostering socially safe, harm-free, and culturally congruent care in communities with the worst birth-related disparities and racialized lived experiences. She has helped 100’s of women give birth and has worked as a program developer & reflective bridge builder to advance women’s self-worth and gratitude. Diane has helped a wide variety of organizations in diverse settings. In addition, she founded and leads Ignited Face of Beauty (iFOB) Consulting, an organization that fosters collaborative work to design and implement culturally responsive and inclusive solutions aimed at narrowing disparities and modeling equity.
Diane speaks with Paul about her experience creating the DIVA Moms program in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Supplementary materials
Readings
Johnson TJ, “Intersection of Bias, Structural Racism, and Social Determinants With Health Care Inequities.” Pediatrics. 2020;146(2):e2020003657
Crear-Perry J, Correa-de-Araujo R, Johnson TL, McLemore MR, Neilson E, and Wallace M. “Social and Structural Determinants of Health Inequities in Maternal Health.” JWomen’s Health; 2021; 30:(2) 230-235. DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2020.8882
O’Kane M, Agrawal S, Binder L, Dzau V, Gandhi TK, Harrington R, Mate K, McGann P, Meyers D, Rosen P, Schreiber M, and Schummers D.,“An Equity Agenda for the Field of Health Care Quality Improvement.” NAM Perspectives; 2021. Discussion Paper, National Academy of Medicine, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.31478/202109b.
Wyatt R, Laderman M, Botwinick L, Mate K, Whittington J., Achieving Health Equity: A Guide for Health Care Organizations. IHI White Paper. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Healthcare Improvement; 2016. (Available at ihi.org)
Frei FX, and Morriss A.,”Begin with trust.” Harvard Business Review 98.3 (2020): 112-121.
Roberts D. Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the 21st Century. 2011. The New Press: New York