Growing Good People: Understanding Self and Resiliency

The goal of this project was to increase compliance in postpartum care among Black women by incorporating community partnerships into the “Staying Healthy After Childbirth” (STAC) care model, which is a telehealth hypertension management program offered by UnityPoint Health-Meriter. Hypertension disorders affect around 22 percent of pregnancies in Wisconsin, with preeclampsia and eclampsia being 60 percent more common and substantially more severe in Black women than white women. While the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends early outpatient follow-up for postpartum women with hypertension disorders, up to 40 percent do not attend. Initial data from the STAC program showed that it was successful in obtaining blood pressure readings from 94 percent of women, compared to 60 percent in standard follow-up, however, compliance with remote blood pressure monitoring varied 23 percent between Black and white women. The project successfully enrolled 48 out of 55 planned participants and integrated community-based, racially concordant doulas into their postpartum care. Preliminary findings revealed a significant improvement in health care engagement for Black mothers with doula support, as evidenced by their total blood pressure readings during the 42-day postpartum period. Qualitative feedback from study participants emphasized the program’s live-saving impact, particularly in postpartum recovery and medication management, with emotional support from doulas contributing to positive well-being and overall experience.