This summer, I had the privilege of serving as an Evaluations Intern with SisterWeb, a nonprofit doula network in San Francisco dedicated to advancing birth justice and health equity for Black families. My main project consisted of creating a three-part workshop series for obstetricians, gynecologists, and labor-and-delivery nurses in Los Angeles County. The aim was to equip medical professionals with a deeper understanding of doulas’ crucial roles and to share best practices for integrating doulas into clinical care.
Designing this curriculum meant bringing together research-backed evidence, practical strategies, and engaging delivery. Each session covered the unique value doulas bring, their impact on maternal health outcomes, and actionable ways to enhance collaboration within hospital systems as a means of improving the quality of care families receive during the prenatal, birth, and postpartum periods. To foster genuine participation, I focused on making the workshops interactive—using real-life case studies, self-reflection activities, and group discussions that gave medical staff meaningful ways to engage with the material.
A central theme was confronting racial disparities in maternal health. The workshops spotlighted the positive, measurable difference doulas make for Black women, who continue to experience unacceptable inequities in perinatal care and maternal and infant outcomes. By grounding our content in LA County data and framing doulas as advocates for culturally humble, respectful care, we encouraged providers to see doula support not as a luxury, but as an essential intervention for systemic change.
I had the rewarding experience of witnessing the first round of workshop delivery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Seeing our curriculum spark conversations, challenge assumptions, and inspire new learning was truly special. Beyond program development, I also led evaluation on this project—designing pre- and post-workshop surveys to measure changes in knowledge and attitudes. The results unequivocally demonstrated a clear impact: participant knowledge about doulas’ positive, evidence-based impact on Black maternal health outcomes jumped by 62%, while understanding of doulas’ role in resource and referral increased by 70%.
For me, this internship was both a professional milestone and a personal affirmation. It strengthened my skills in curriculum design, research synthesis, and data-driven evaluation while reinforcing my belief in the transformative power of community-rooted health advocacy. As SisterWeb initiates the next phase of workshops in September, I’m hopeful that this momentum will spark lasting change in how providers partner with doulas, driving better and more equitable care for all families.
Photo depicts a word cloud activity polling participants' experiences and perceptions about doulas and doula care. The responses were varied, demonstrating diverse understandings of the scope and goals of doulas as well as best practices for promoting collaboration.
Photo shows workshop participants engaging in a "Fist, prying open" activity meant to symbolize how affirmations and intentional physical support can help relax and promote safety in a client/provider relationship.