Vital KC

In recognition of National Maternal Health Awareness Day on January 23, we share the story of three mothers empowered by a group prenatal care program at University Health.

As an account executive for a major insurance company, Traci Dancy knows numbers. As a woman of color, she’s well aware that the odds of her or her baby dying within a year of giving birth are three times higher than the odds a white woman faces.

Dancy’s first child was born at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While she ended up with a healthy baby girl, she remembers feeling lonely during and after her pregnancy. So when a University Health (UH) certified nurse midwife asked if she wanted to join group maternity care during her second pregnancy, Dancy was immediately interested. “I thought, maybe if I go through this program I can learn something new,” said Dancy. “It was the best decision I made.”

The group is called EleVATE, and it’s more than just group prenatal care. This program, developed by a collaboration of physicians and patients at Washington University in St. Louis, prioritizes empowering the patient. “I learned to ask ‘Am I safe?’, ‘Is my child safe?’ and ‘Do I have time to make a decision?’” said Dancy.

EleVATE was designed for women of color, but is open to any person who’s had a previous ‘adverse experience’ or is at a greater risk for complications, including postpartum depression. UH has been offering the program for about a year and a half. Pregnant people start each prenatal appointment meeting privately with their OB provider. The patient is empowered by learning how to take and record her own weight, blood pressure and measurements. The patients have similar due dates so they can support each other and learn from one another. “There were many types of women,” said Dancy. “Even though we were all in different stages of life, it made you feel less alone.” Dancy’s daughter, Hazel, arrived earlier this month. Mom and baby are doing well.

Eighth grade teacher Bailey Conard was expecting her first baby when she learned about the EleVATE program at UH Women’s Care. She joined a ‘team’ of six other women. Conard said she enjoyed the support and friendship of the other women while learning how to best advocate for herself. The hardest part for her was the waiting, as she was the last of her group to deliver. Conard’s son, Bellamy, made his entrance in September. He made the holiday season brighter for his family.

Destiny Jackson, already a mother of two, spends her days advocating for others in the social services field. Her career is rewarding, and stressful. When Jackson became pregnant with her third child, she knew her health had to be her priority. She said EleVATE helped her do that. “I was given a village full of angels.” She was confident that maternal and infant mortality were not going to knock on her door.

Thanks to EleVATE, Jackson knew she had the right to ask questions and say ‘no’ in a way that allowed her and her provider to work together. Jackson’s daughter, Chloe, is a happy one-year-old who is learning to walk.

To learn more about the EleVATE program, contact LaTonya Williamson at 816-800-2126.