Black Wellness & Prosperity Center

Our programs focus on overcoming preventable negative birth outcomes by filling knowledge gaps in power-sharing practices in community engagement, creating resources informed by those who are the most impacted, and developing equity-minded infrastructure. Our Work:Developing Multi-Stakeholder Alliances: - BLACK Maternal Health Circles is a space where Black women use their expertise and lived experiences to advise Blue Shield of California on care solutions. - The BLACK Doula Consortium aims to increase access to information and resources, target key stakeholders, amplify the voice of Black maternal health experts, and advocate for Black-centered public health. - Our Provider Engagement program involves strategically designing resources and education in partnership with providers to build knowledge among providers on doulas scope of practice. The goal is to successfully integrate doulas into hospital birthing teams.Black-Centered Infrastructure and Capacity Building: - The BLACK Doula Network aims to address the doula provider deficit in Fresno and build the necessary backbone and infrastructure to support and sustain doulas. - Community outreach and access to care: BWPC acquired a Mobile Health Unit to utilize as a community health and training vehicle. Its purpose is to serve Fresnos Black birthing persons and babies, as well as provide direct community care in the neighborhood. - Culturally affirming state-of-the-art community birth-simulator: Olivia, "Liv" is a full-body-sized, proportionate wireless and tetherless, maternal and neonatal care patient simulator. LIV moves her eyes, blinks, talks, and demonstrates breathing, heartbeat, and various vital functions and health conditions. She gives birth to her babies, Akilah and Neema through vaginal or Cesarean delivery. Olivia allows the BLACK Doula Networks doula candidates and local community to observe the clinical process of labor and birth and other relevant health scenarios.Advocacy:- We engage with policy and decision makers to raise awareness of racial health disparities and influence local and state-level policies. Our recent advocacy work includes sponsoring Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambulas AB 2420 that studies the impact of extreme heat on pregnancy and aims to develop guidance for safe conditions and health considerations. We have collaborated with partners on local proclamations that elevate significant maternal and infant health issues such as preterm birth education or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) prevention.Research: - Anemia Research: We designed opportunities that prioritize opportunities for birthing persons to be heard. We worked with community voices and institutions to explore barriers of IDA (Iron Deficiency Anemia) treatment during pregnancy in Black and Hispanic/Latinx birthing persons and develop culturally resonating and effective solutions in patient education and anemia management. - Black Fatherhood Legacy: In collaboration with community champions and researchers, we piloted and evaluated a fatherhood workshop that aimed to strengthen paternal involvement during pregnancy among Black men in Fresno. Our work offers California stakeholders implementing Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI) Fatherhood programs guidance to improve program delivery to Black men.Our ResultsWe dont just implement projects and proceed to the next one. We bring tangible and sustainable changes in our community. Several of our work such as the BLACK Fatherhood Legacy (BFL) and the Safer Sleep Education portfolio grew out of singular projects. We are a visionary community-based organization, and we seek partners who wish to invest in transformative community-led changes. In less than two year more than 24 funders with one or more grants trusted our work. With the continued trust from our partners and community, we are committed to bringing the BLACK Birthing Center into reality and deliver the care Black mothers and babies deserve but traditionally have not received.