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Guahan Dula program trains doulas, seeks Medicaid coverage and village group sessions
Summary
Jane Flores, director of the Bureau of Women’s Affairs, told the mayoral council the Guahan Dula birth-worker project has trained doulas to address high maternal and infant mortality; the bureau is seeking Medicaid reimbursement and will offer group doula sessions in villages this summer.
Jane Flores, director of the Guam Bureau of Women’s Affairs, briefed the Mayor’s Council of Guam on May 10 on the Guahan Dula birth-worker project, a locally tailored doula-training and outreach effort funded by the governor and a GEDA grant.
Flores said Guam’s maternal and infant mortality rates are high and cited the program’s public-health purpose: “Because as I mentioned, we have some of the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality,” she said, arguing doulas can improve communication with medical providers, reduce stress in labor, and identify postpartum depression earlier.
Flores told the council the Bureau has trained 19 doulas so far, is integrating culturally relevant Chamorro birth practices into training, and is working to add doula services to the Guam Medicaid plan and to GovGuam employee insurance. She described doula functions — prenatal education and birth planning, advocacy during labor, family engagement, breastfeeding support and postpartum screening for depression — and said the bureau planned group doula sessions at village community centers from July through October.
Two trained doulas attending the meeting, Jelena Santos and Kirsten Rosario, described outreach and community-education work, including services for teen parents and language-access support for Deaf mothers. Flores asked mayors to offer community-center space for evening group sessions; she said the bureau would send an informational sheet for social media and distribution.
The council did not take formal action. Flores said the bureau will continue outreach to Medicaid and Department of Administration officials to secure reimbursement; she noted 12 U.S. states and D.C. already reimburse doulas and the policy change would expand access for marginalized residents.
