 |
The Postpartum Health Alliance'sDEIA Committee |
 |
In June of 2020, the Postpartum Health Alliance was called to action by the events involving the BLM movement. We made a commitment and a promise to our PHA family and the greater community to address diversity and inclusion within our organization and to do more as it relates to closing the gap on racial disparities within the perinatal field. To ensure these efforts are prioritized and led, we established a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (DEIA) subcommittee.
The DEIA subcommittee is comprised of PHA professional members and local community stakeholders. To ensure the mission and work of the Subcommittee are woven into everything we do, the subcommittee is chaired by the Equity and Inclusion Board Members.
WANNA HELP?! JOIN OUR COMMITTEE!!
The DEIA committee is open to anyone interested in helping us advance our cause! Because PHA is almost entirely run by volunteers, how fast and far we can go, depends entirely on the amount of help we can get! If you are interested in helping PHA clip away at diversity and racial disparity within the perinatal field, please email us at info@postpartumhealthalliance.
DEIA Committee Updates
Currently, the DEIA committee is working on:
- Strategizing around committee outreach to expand the diversity of PHA's professional membership
By the end of 2021, the DEIA committee:
- Launched a new scholarship program aimed at increasing the number of specialized perinatal clinicians that serve underserved populations (i.e. communities of color, low-income, immigrants, refugees, etc) or accept MediCal.
- Scholarships were funded through Kaiser Permanente's Community Health Grant, and in partnership with Postpartum Support International.
- Identified and awarded Clinical Training Scholarships and PHA membership to 13 deserving recipients -
Jessica O., Rainuka O., Kelsie N., Jenna Z., Erika A., Janelle M., Sharareh G., Narine B., Suzanne M., Jennifer L., Alverdette M., Dianna H., Alexandra F.
- Hosted a FREE Postpartum Providers of Color Restorative Event open to all San Diego Providers
- In response to feedback provided by DEIA committee and community members, this event was designed to provide a safe space for Postpartum Providers of Color to heal and feel supported from this past year and a half. San Diego Providers of Color were invited to process current events, nurture their bodies with refreshments, and participate in sound healing.
- Supported the Board in completing four hours of diversity training through Check Your Privilege.
-
Continue to seek culturally diverse Board candidates through diversified recruitment strategies.
-
Continued monthly meetings with the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (DEIA) committee.
By the end of 2020, the DEIA committee:
- Helped PHA redesign our Board recruitment strategy and application to better reach professional and culturally diverse candidates
- Created the role of an Equity and Inclusion Board position to oversee the DEIA committee and carry out committee goals
- Took a critical look at PHA's PMADs 101 training, providing feedback and edits to better promote inclusivity
- Stitched together a demographics survey that will be used to establish a data-driven approach to tracking and addressing the diversity of PHA membership