Mayor’s office announces housing expo, spring festival and youth jobs program; physician warns of local gap in women's health care

Birmingham — In its regular report to the City Council on March 25, the mayor's office asked residents to save the date for several upcoming community events and promoted a summer youth employment program. Shortly afterward, Dr. Mia Cowan, founder of MiBello Wellness Center, told council members she sees a growing gap in women's health care and invited cooperation on an upcoming conference.

Mayor’s office announcements - Housing expo: The Birmingham Land Bank will present a building and homeownership housing expo in April at the Birmingham Museum of Art; the city packet referenced the Land Bank website for details. (The calendar announcement included a Tuesday in April from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; a specific date was not stated in the transcript.) - Spring festival: The city will host a spring festival with Easter activities at Railroad Park in April; the event was announced for a weekend date in April from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The announcement described free public activities including food trucks and face painting. - Kids & Jobs: The Department of Youth Services and WBRC 6 are accepting applications for the summer 2025 Kids & Jobs program for Birmingham residents ages 14–24. Eligibility details announced at the meeting: Birmingham residency, minimum 2.0 GPA, age between 14 and 24 by June, and commitment to work through June–July. Applications available at bhamyouthfirst.org.

Dr. Mia Cowan presentation Dr. Mia Cowan identified herself as a board‑certified gynecologist and founder of MiBello Wellness Center. She told the council that Birmingham is “facing a healthcare crisis, particularly in women's health” as OB‑GYNs retire and clinical capacity narrows. Cowan cited statewide maternal‑mortality disparities and said Alabama “consistently ranks amongst the highest states for maternal mortality with Black women 3 to 5 times more likely to die from pregnancy‑related causes,” framing those statistics as a local concern.

Cowan described MiBello’s model of combined gynecologic and whole‑patient wellness services and invited collaboration on health equity initiatives. She promoted an upcoming women’s health empowerment conference titled “Foreplay” scheduled for May 10 at the UAB Hilton downtown.

Why it matters The mayor’s announcements point to city efforts on housing access, family‑oriented public events and summer employment for youth. Dr. Cowan’s presentation stressed workforce and access gaps in women’s health care that organizers and city leaders flagged as community priorities.

Next steps Residents seeking information about the housing expo are directed to the Birmingham Land Bank website. Youth and families were given the Kids & Jobs application website. Council members did not take formal votes on these items; Dr. Cowan’s presentation was informational and included an invitation for future collaboration.