Medicaid-enrolled doulas get new way to keep notes on the women they serve
Derek Peterson, CEO of Soter Technologies, left, demonstrates how Doula Notes works with Chanel Jones, a birth doula for Chanel's Comforting Doula Care in East Setauket, at Soter's Ronkonkoma office on Thursday. Credit: Randee Daddona
Medicaid-enrolled doulas assisting Long Island women during pregnancy and after birth now have access to a new platform that aims to alleviate administrative hurdles and lead to better outcomes for their babies, officials said.
The Health and Welfare Council of Long Island and Soter Technologies on Thursday launched a client management platform called Doula Notes, which provides the birth assistants with one place to document information like appointments, notes and births.
"It is about equitable access," said Vanessa Baird-Streeter, president and CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. "It's about removing barriers for doulas."
The launch of the client management platform, which is free, comes after New York State allowed doula services to be covered under Medicaid in 2024. Today, pregnant women who are on Medicaid can get doula services that include "eight perinatal visits before or after the birth and continuous support during labor and birth," according to the state Department of Health’s website.
About 45 doulas serve Long Island, according to the DOH’s doula directory.
By easing administrative burdens, health officials hope more people will have access to doula services, which can include birthing plans and labor support, and become Medicaid-enrolled doulas to help combat the nation’s maternal mortality crisis.
Between 2018 and 2020, roughly 120 pregnancy-related deaths took place in New York, according to the state Department of Health. There were stark racial disparities, with Black women having a "a pregnancy-related mortality ratio five times higher than" white women, the DOH said.
Research has shown that having a doula may improve some birth outcomes.
Yet, many doulas had not become Medicaid-enrolled providers, citing concerns about the long reimbursement times and paperwork, Baird-Streeter said. Health insurance may cover part of the cost of a doula.
Doula Notes, which cost about $100,000 to develop, is designed to bridge the gap in a way that is compliant with health care privacy laws. The platform allows doulas to code prenatal visits, whether the person had a C-section and other key information that might be audited by Medicaid. The Health and Welfare Council of Long Island said they convened bimonthly meetings with doulas on Long Island to ensure the platform was geared toward their needs.
Chanel Jones, a birth doula who founded Chanel's Comforting Doula Care, has used the platform.
Doula Notes, she said, simplifies an often difficult and cumbersome Medicaid billing process by allowing documentation to be in one place.
In the future, she hopes it will encourage more doulas to accept patients who are enrolled in Medicaid, allowing them to be able to "help the community where it matters the most," Jones said.
Medicaid-enrolled doulas assisting Long Island women during pregnancy and after birth now have access to a new platform that aims to alleviate administrative hurdles and lead to better outcomes for their babies, officials said.
The Health and Welfare Council of Long Island and Soter Technologies on Thursday launched a client management platform called Doula Notes, which provides the birth assistants with one place to document information like appointments, notes and births.
"It is about equitable access," said Vanessa Baird-Streeter, president and CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. "It's about removing barriers for doulas."
The launch of the client management platform, which is free, comes after New York State allowed doula services to be covered under Medicaid in 2024. Today, pregnant women who are on Medicaid can get doula services that include "eight perinatal visits before or after the birth and continuous support during labor and birth," according to the state Department of Health’s website.
About 45 doulas serve Long Island, according to the DOH’s doula directory.
By easing administrative burdens, health officials hope more people will have access to doula services, which can include birthing plans and labor support, and become Medicaid-enrolled doulas to help combat the nation’s maternal mortality crisis.
Between 2018 and 2020, roughly 120 pregnancy-related deaths took place in New York, according to the state Department of Health. There were stark racial disparities, with Black women having a "a pregnancy-related mortality ratio five times higher than" white women, the DOH said.
Research has shown that having a doula may improve some birth outcomes.
Yet, many doulas had not become Medicaid-enrolled providers, citing concerns about the long reimbursement times and paperwork, Baird-Streeter said. Health insurance may cover part of the cost of a doula.
Doula Notes, which cost about $100,000 to develop, is designed to bridge the gap in a way that is compliant with health care privacy laws. The platform allows doulas to code prenatal visits, whether the person had a C-section and other key information that might be audited by Medicaid. The Health and Welfare Council of Long Island said they convened bimonthly meetings with doulas on Long Island to ensure the platform was geared toward their needs.
Chanel Jones, a birth doula who founded Chanel's Comforting Doula Care, has used the platform.
Doula Notes, she said, simplifies an often difficult and cumbersome Medicaid billing process by allowing documentation to be in one place.
In the future, she hopes it will encourage more doulas to accept patients who are enrolled in Medicaid, allowing them to be able to "help the community where it matters the most," Jones said.
Tiffany Cusaac-Smith is a general assignment reporter for Newsday. She previously worked at USA TODAY and is an alum of Howard University.
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