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TULSA, Okla.–In a significant milestone, the Tulsa Birth Equity Initiative has announced its new name, Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative, marking an exciting new chapter in its mission to advance maternal health equity across the state.
The organization celebrated the moment with an open house on Thursday, Oct. 10, where it unveiled a newly expanded space designed to better serve its growing community and highlighted the impact it has made over the past five years.
Since its founding in 2019, OKBEI has been at the forefront of addressing maternal health disparities, especially among Black women who are disproportionately affected. The rebranding to Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative marks a broader commitment to expanding its work across the entire state, taking its successful community-based programs to underserved areas.
Expanding Maternal Health Services
OKBEI’s core focus remains reducing maternal health disparities by supporting women of color throughout their pregnancy journeys. Executive Director Omare Jimmerson emphasized the organization’s innovative approaches to maternal care, particularly in maintaining a full-time doula workforce during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ours was one of the few doula programs nationwide that quickly pivoted to continue support during COVID,” Jimmerson shared. “We’ve created the only doula progression work program in the country, and our data shows promising results—Black women supported by our doulas are half as likely to experience preterm births compared to the state average.”
OKBEI’s impact is tangible. Since 2019, the organization has served 276 clients, supporting 345 births and conducting over 9,700 client encounters. Black women served by OKBEI doulas now experience preterm birth rates nearly identical to those of White women in Tulsa County—an outcome that showcases the power of community-based, culturally competent care.
In addition to its doula services, OKBEI has trained more than 500 health providers and medical students in evidence-based solutions that improve health outcomes for women of color. This educational effort is critical to ensuring that the broader healthcare system can better serve marginalized communities.
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New Programs and Statewide Expansion
One of the organization’s standout programs is the Blossoming Birth Community-Based Doula training curriculum, developed in partnership with SisterWeb.
This modular training model is designed to meet the unique needs of various communities and will be instrumental in OKBEI’s statewide expansion.
The program, initially piloted in Tulsa and San Francisco, will now work to train 150 community-based doulas across Oklahoma, focusing on at least six maternal health desert communities.
A New Space to Grow Birth Equity
The new space unveiled at the open house includes training areas dedicated to NestU, a professional development initiative for advancing community and healthcare provider education. This expansion is vital for supporting OKBEI’s continued growth and ensuring more families across Oklahoma have access to the supportive, personalized maternal care they need.
Reflecting on the organization’s journey, Jimmerson noted, “It’s an honor to pause and look back on the past five years of work supporting birthing people in Tulsa and beyond.”
“What began as a mission to provide doula support for expecting teens has grown into a movement to ensure that all birthing people can create families with dignity. We’re excited about this next chapter as OKBEI continues to transform maternal health outcomes across Oklahoma,” she said.
For more information, visit tulsabei.org.
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