University of Chicago Medicine began offering around-the-clock doula support in its labor and delivery ward starting March 31, according to an announcement on Apr. 9. The program is a partnership with Partum Health, a health care startup, which has staffed seven doulas at the hospital’s Hyde Park location.
The initiative aims to provide non-clinical physical, emotional, and educational support for patients during labor. Doulas assist parents choosing unmedicated childbirth, help clarify clinical explanations from medical teams, offer comfort during unexpected cesarean births, and provide limited postpartum care. They also support parents facing miscarriages or other traumatic outcomes.
“Being integrated into the hospital system allows us to have access to some of these spaces that were normally off-limits to private doulas,” said Dr. Melissa Dennis, OB/GYN and chief medical officer for Partum Health. Dennis added that doula services are typically available “at no extra cost as long as they have a qualifying insurance, and that includes Medicaid.” Illinois expanded Medicaid coverage in 2024 to include doulas and lactation consultants; the UChicago-based doulas are Medicaid-certified.
Giovanna Otavalo, talent acquisition manager for Partum Health, said more private insurers may begin reimbursements due to the rollout of Illinois’ Birth Equity Act. “Traditionally, doulas have been available for families to hire out of pocket, and it can be quite an extraordinary cost that is not feasible for many families,” Otavalo said.
Otavalo explained that one doula will be assigned per shift with two patients each. If demand exceeds availability, priority will go to those without prior medical support or who are trauma survivors. Patients may still choose their own private doula if preferred.
Most doulas in this program are people of color from the South Side who have worked with nonprofits or community organizations before joining UChicago’s team. “We know that there’s a great level of improvement [possible] for families to be served by providers who share their experiences,” Otavalo said.
This new program comes alongside broader efforts such as the recent groundbreaking of the Chicago South Side Birth Center—planned as the first facility of its kind on the South Side—and Kennedy-King College’s upcoming midwifery program launch this fall. Nationwide trends show over 30 states now reimburse doula services through Medicaid; UnitedHealthcare will add a new benefit this year as well.
Experts say expanding access to doula care can help reduce maternal mortality rates among Black mothers—who face higher risks than white women—while remaining relatively inexpensive compared with other interventions.
Dennis concluded: “The vision is that as we launch…the program does nothing but expand until every patient who shows up at [the university’s] labor and delivery ward will have access to 24/7 doula support.”
