Combating Health & Racial Equity in Maternal-Child Health - Jeneice Collins, Impact Maker

Impact Makers Winning Circle now includes Jeneice Collins, Founder of Bloom & Thrive Women and Children’s Corporation.

Her passion for health and racial equity fuels her desire to create change in the field of maternal-child health. Bloom & Thrive Women and Children's Corporationʼs formation has been a dream of hers for a while. As a future midwife, she plans to dedicate her career to health and racial equity, particularly among women and children of color, but will also work to service all women and children in need. As a healthcare provider for this population, cultural competency and awareness is essential in providing appropriate care. The knowledge that about half of all births in the United States are to minority women and minority women suffer maternal deaths and adverse outcomes at a three to four times higher rate than other races is alarming. Many of these complications are considered preventable. Research supports racial and financial factors as being involved in the disparities between maternal ethnic groups. Often, minority patients are unable to access providers that know how to provide culturally appropriate care. Even if the patients have the same economic status, racial disparities persist and minority patients receive a lower quality of care, which often leads to poor outcomes.