THE PERINATAL UNIT FOR SYSTEMS OF HEALTH

Our commitment to building a network of professionally trained doulas in Harris County was propelled by several key factors. First, our ability to secure a government contract will help provide a stable foundation of funding as we design and implement training programs and outreach initiatives to deliver essential maternal health services. Forging corporate partnerships brought in new revenue streams but also provided valuable resources and expertise to enhance our program's effectiveness. Additionally, our collaborative effort with medical providers is key to our integrated and holistic approach to maternal care. This collaboration fosters a seamless support system for expectant families. By aligning our objectives with those of our partners, we are creating a synergistic effect to amplify our outcomes and position our organization as a pivotal force in addressing Greater Houston's maternal morbidity and mortality crisis. Our research involved both an online survey and an in-depth, qualitative interview. Consequently, the bar for entry into participation was high. An excellent response rate for solely online surveys is 30%, as response rates for surveys are typically between 5-30% (Wu, Zhao, Fils-Aime, 2022). Since labor and birth can be highly unpredictable, it is unsurprising that a doula's daily schedule can be highly unpredictable as well. Thus, scheduling interviews proved to be challenging. Despite interview scheduling difficulties, our completion rate for the online survey and hour-long interview was 26%.