[ad_1]
Maternity care company Pomelo Care has acquired The Doula Network, the companies announced on Tuesday. Traditionally offering only virtual care, the acquisition now allows Pomelo Care to provide in-person support as well.
New York City-based Pomelo Care connects patients to a care team that includes obstetric and pediatric care providers, nurses, dieticians and therapists. Patients can meet with their care team at any time via text, phone or video. With The Doula Network, based in Orlando, Florida, patients gain access to a network of birth doulas, one-on-one visits during pregnancy and postpartum, in-person labor support, and support between visits via text, email or phone. Both companies work with health plans, including Medicaid plans.
Through the acquisition, Pomelo Care is integrating The Doula Network into its care model. In addition to receiving all of Pomelo Care’s existing services, patients can now be matched with a community-based doula. The doula can provide patients with emotional, physical and educational support before and after birth. By acquiring The Doula Network, Pomelo Care now has more than 15 million covered lives, including one in six Medicaid beneficiaries.
“In recent years, we’ve seen significant movement towards holistic models of care that cover the medical, behavioral, and social needs of a patient,” said Marta Bralic Kerns, founder & CEO of Pomelo Care, in an email. “High-quality healthcare is about much more than diagnosis, medication, and surgery. It’s about understanding the entire person and their unique needs. This acquisition allows us to continue our work providing comprehensive maternity care to our patients. But we’re now also able to be with them in their communities, at their side during this important time in their lives.”
The terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Doula Network’s founder and CEO, Elizabeth Simmons, has assumed the role of Head of Doula Network for Pomelo Care. She said that as a combined company, Pomelo Care and The Doula Network will have a meaningful impact on maternal health outcomes.
“By acquiring The Doula Network, Pomelo Care is expanding desperately needed access to evidence-based maternity care and supercharging the doula ecosystem nationwide,” Simmons said in a statement. “With a worsening maternal and infant health crisis and too many women not knowing where to turn for support, this acquisition will allow us to scale our doula network and meet rapidly increasing commercial and Medicaid demand for community-based doulas.”
According to the most recent data in 2015, just 6% of birthing mothers receive doula care. However, momentum is picking up, with 13 states and Washington D.C. requiring Medicaid reimbursement for doula services, and 30 additional states currently seeking doula reimbursement, according to the announcement.
Doulas have also proven to be successful. Women who are supported by a doula are less likely to have a cesarean birth or have a low birth weight baby, according to the University of Washington.
“With our new, integrated care model, we are working to significantly expand access to evidence-based maternity care across the U.S. and meet the growing commercial and Medicaid demand for community-based doulas,” Bralic Kerns said. “We are also working to set a new standard for maternity care, where everyone has access to round-the-clock virtual medical care and the on-the-ground support they need by their side throughout their pregnancy.”
Other maternal health companies that provide doula support include Mae and Partum Health.
Photo: Prostock-Studio, Getty Images
[ad_2]
