Dr. Pooja Mittal, Vice President, Chief Health Equity Officer, Health Net

Across Sacramento County, Black parents welcome their new babies with growing circles of care. They have found doulas, community baby showers and local programs that feel personal and full of respect. This type of progress often arrives with a quiet nudge. It can be found with a steady hand during labor, a trusted voice at a prenatal visit or help filling out a benefits form.

Health Net believes care must reflect real lives. We listen to parents who carry both hope and worry. We share in relief when a parent is heard and supported. And we have learned that small acts of support do add up. What matters most is investing in ways that honor Black families’ strength, meet them where they are and build on programs that have proven success.

Teaming with local leaders is what guides and shapes our work. Health Net provided the initial funding that launched the California Coalition for Black Birth Justice. This coalition is made up of community groups to plan strategies and drive local solutions. The group includes:

  • Black-led agencies
  • Birth workers (doulas)
  • Local advocates

The Coalition targets real-life encounters in its planning and practice. The partnership, along with positive results, informed the group’s recent report, State of Black Birth Equity.

Most important, Health Net’s investments focus on outcomes families can truly feel, such as:

  • Birth-worker (doula) networks and referral pathways
  • Managed care during pregnancy and postpartum
  • Local events where parents can get supplies, gather information and make contacts

For instance, Health Net’s neighborhood baby showers give parents supplies, information and a sense of rapport. The events can help to ease stress during a fragile time for new moms. Our most recent event, the 2026 Sacramento Community Baby Shower, attracted

94 mothers and more than 270 attendees.

Guests were treated to a presentation about the Medi-Cal doula benefit and several local businesses hosted tables to provide resources and program information. Plus, during the event, we conducted 46 blood pressure checks and other social needs) screenings.

A key part of this work supports locally-based doula agencies such as O Community Doulas (Sacramento) who offer culture-based care for Black families. Health Net also funds gatherings like “Doulas Unfiltered”, a space that allows these birth workers to gather and renew. We support outreach that connects doulas with Medi-Cal pathways and provider resources.

The goal is simple — stronger doula talent, more doulas to reflect the cultural richness of the neighborhoods we serve, and more families to connect with ongoing support.

This approach benefits both Health Net members and providers. When doulas get support, they can focus on care. When doulas focus on care, families feel the change. That formula helps more Black moms access trusted support before, during and after birth. Local support in Sacramento also includes:

  • Lactation help
  • Benefit guidance
  • Transportation help
  • Peer postpartum groups and home-visit support

Plus, there is greater support for managed services that make it easier for new moms to attend appointments and recover and bond with their new baby.

These are practical, instant investments that connect families to trusted people and places.

Progress comes from listening, showing up and investing in people. Parents, providers and local leaders hold many answers. Side by side we are helping more Black families begin their stories with care, hope and the support they deserve.