Vi Natirèl: Family Wellness Center

The USA is the only developed nation with an increasing maternal mortality rate. From 7.2 deaths per 100,000 in 1987 to 17.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2015. Due to racism, sexism, and other systemic barriers that have contributed to income inequality, health and education disparities, Black women are three to four times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women and 60% of all pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. 
Through an Integrative Model of Health founded on Birth Justice Framework, Vi Natirèl: Family Wellness Center addresses the Disparities and Inequities in Preconception, Maternal, Interpregnancy and Infant Health. 
To improve Black women's maternal health, our center focuses on a multi-faceted approach that addresses Black women's health across the lifespan, increases the number of trained Black midwives and doulas, improves access to trusted quality and holistic care, and addresses the social determinants of health centered on the needs of Black women. 

When it comes to maternal mortality rates, the United States is currently ranking the highest when compared to all other developed countries. Furthermore, systemic racism and inequities contribute to high rates of negative maternal and infant health outcomes, who are more likely to experience barriers to obtaining quality care throughout their lifespan. 

Each year 70,000 women in Florida live in a maternity care desert. In 2018, 4,492 women in Florida gave birth with no prenatal care. Black women currently represent less than 2% of the nation's reported 15,000 midwives. Furthermore, there is a lack of awareness and misinformation about the services and benefits of Midwives, Doulas, Birthing Centers and other birthing options. Women on Pregnancy Medicaid were almost 50% less likely to know about midwifery and doula care than pregnant people who were privately insured.

Black women have the highest cesarean rates at 35.4%. The WHO reports that the best outcomes for women and babies occur with cesarean rates of 5% to 10% and rates above 15% do more harm. The overmedicalization and overuse of intervention in obstetrics interfere with the natural physiologic processes of labor and birth and ultimately increase the risk of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. 

Our services are separated into four main categories: 

1) Our Birthing Centers is addressing key factors associated with the high maternal mortality and morbidity rates by providing individualized holistic maternal health care to women who are at highest risk of negative pregnancy, birth and postpartum outcomes. Our Health Center provides access to affordable and quality preconception, fertility, interpregnancy and mental health care to reduce the number of high risk pregnancies by addressing health conditions prior to getting pregnant. 

2) Our Maternal Health Institute provide people interested in Maternal Health with affordable and culturally relevant certificate and degree programs by reducing the barriers for aspiring Black doula and midwives which in return strengthens the Maternal Health workforce. 

3) Our Community-Based Maternal Health agency provide affordable, quality and culturally sensitive doula and midwifery care for women most at risk for poor maternal health outcomes by reducing the cultural, economic and geographical barriers to accessing doula and midwifery care. 

4) Our supportive holistic services help families in their reproductive years by increasing access to holistic treatments and remedies while addressing the social determinants of health impacting their life so they can achieve their optimum health and wellness and birth healthy future generations. 

According to the Florida’s Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review, Neighborhoods in Miami-Dade County with the highest mortality rates: 

 
a) Opa-Locka/Miami Gardens/Westview 
b) Downtown/East Little Havana/Liberty City/Little Haiti/Overtown 
c) North Miami/North Miami Beach 
d) South Dade/Homestead 
e) Brownsville/Coral Gables/Coconut Grove 
d) Kendall 
Social and structural determinants of health that contribute to high rates of poor maternal health outcomes for Black women, who are more likely to experience barriers to obtaining quality care.

I held a group interview with black moms from these neighborhoods. The majority of them traumatized by their birth experience. They all pointed out that the hospital staff ignored or brushed off their complaints. I also have created a needs assessment for all birthing families to express their opinions and experiences. All of the services I have listed so far is based on their replies.  https://forms.gle/MSXNa7RhCD5t...

This challenge and my solution aligns with the Millenium Development Goal 5 (includes improving maternal health). Simply surviving pregnancy and childbirth is not the marker of successful maternal health care. It is critical to expand efforts to reducing maternal injury and disability to promote health and well-being. This is why it is crucial that we address inequalities and inequities that affect health outcomes. There needs to be a shift from focusing on medical interventions to issues of quality of care for pregnant women and how individual women’s experiences in the healthcare system are connected to broader dimensions of maternal health. 

Through an Integrative Model of Health, Vi Natirèl: Family Wellness Center aims to address the Disparities and Inequities in Preconception, Maternal (Prenatal, Birth, Postpartum, and Interpregnancy) and Infant Health Care Delivery and Outcomes. The Purpose of Vi Natirèl: Family Wellness Center is to focus on the overall well-being and wellness of families by providing a 
supportive and nurturing maternal health workforce and environment that fosters growth and empowerment during each stage of a family life cycle.

Integrative medicine is the practice of medicine that focuses on the whole person and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcare professionals, and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing.

It combines state-of-the-art, conventional medical treatments with other therapies that are carefully selected and shown to be effective and safe. The goal is to unite the best that conventional medicine has to offer with other healing systems and therapies derived from cultures and ideas both old and new.

The Birth Justice focuses on eliminating disparities and inequities in pregnancy and birth outcomes experienced by women of color, low-income women, young women and transgender people. We accomplish this by increasing access to empowering and culturally relevant birthing options, led by midwives, doulas and other birth workers of color, and changes in policy and practice aimed at improving birth outcomes.

Database of all Midwives and Doulas from all training programs. 

Community Agency 

Members section of website allows interaction between families and Birth Workers

Through an Integrative Model of Health, Vi Natirèl: Family Wellness Center founded on a Birth Justice Framework aims  

1) To provide a family-centered, community-based and wellness-focused maternity care to all birthing families  

2) To train and invest in a maternal health workforce that provide holistic care  

3) To facilitate a Maternal Health Care System guided by the Birth Justice Framework 

4) To conduct research, develop policies and implement evidence-based practices aimed at addressing the Social Determinants of Health in order to achieve birth equity and eliminate disparities in pregnancy and birth outcomes

2 Full Time Staff

I am a mother of two beautiful girls and wife. My own birth experiences and my love for women's and infants’ health compelled me to currently obtain various certifications related to maternal health and to pursue a career focused on maternal health and research. I graduated from Florida International University (FIU) with my Bachelor’s in Biology and Psychology with certificates in Women’s Studies & Latin American and Caribbean studies. I also have my Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University with a concentration in Project Management and Fundraising. My academic goals are to complete my Master’s in Public Health and obtain my Midwifery license and Doctor of Medicine degree. Currently, I am a Community Birth Worker, Birth Justice Doula, Midwife Assistant and, overall Maternal Health Advocate. I founded my own doula business called Vi Natirèl: Family Wellness Services with the hopes to bridge the gap between Haitian traditional medicinal and herbal practices and modern medicine. Within my career, I plan on combining the best of both traditional and modern medicine by practicing medicine with a holistic approach that does not only focus on treating patients and their symptoms, but actively contribute to improving their overall well-being within their community.