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Subcommittee favors partnership over 'integration,' flags need to support doulas and inventory hospital policies
Summary
Members debated the meaning of 'integration' in the statute and said doulas favor partnership and autonomy; participants also discussed compensating doulas for participation and proposed an inventory of hospital doula-access policies and a phased pilot approach.
Members of the Doula Friendly Hospitals Workforce and Access Subcommittee pressed officials to define what 'doula integration' would mean in practice and urged the group to prioritize partnership models that preserve doulas’ autonomy.
Selena O, director of health equity and community engagement at the Connecticut Hospital Association, framed the concern: “Integration has a specific implication which is essentially institutionalizing the doula workforce, and that's what we've learned is that's not what doulas are looking for. They're looking for collaboration and maintaining their autonomy in their work.” Participants agreed that the statutory language should be clearly defined in any public-facing materials and that the subcommittee could recommend alternative phrasing based on community feedback.
The group also raised practical barriers to participation. Several members noted that hospital-employed staff typically have employer support for meeting participation, but community doulas often do not receive compensation for committee work. Stephanie, a health program associate with the Office of Health Equity, said DPH is reviewing options and that ensuring compensation or supports is part of recruitment planning.
On implementation, staff recommended compiling a statewide inventory of birthing hospitals and requesting each facility’s written policies on doula access, then using a standardized data-collection tool to validate outcome data (maternal mortality, cesarean rates, patient satisfaction and birth equity measures) to inform recommendations. Participants advised leveraging existing local demonstrations—several speakers pointed to education and pilot work in Fairfield County—rather than duplicating landscape analyses already done.
Community organization logistics also surfaced: participants clarified the history of a local coalition, noting that Doulas for CT began as a 2019 coalition of organizations and has recently been realigned to focus on legislative activity, distinct from newer nonprofit initiatives.
Because the session was informational and lacked quorum, no formal policy recommendations were adopted; instead staff will circulate draft language and an implementation tracker for review prior to a formal meeting when votes and official recommendations can be considered.
