Infant and maternal healthcare gains funding in Southern New Mexico

Juan Corral
Las Cruces Bulletin

The United Health Foundation awarded $1.5 million to La Clinic de Familia and another $100,000 to the New Mexico Doula Association to expand prenatal and gynecological health services in Southern New Mexico. 

United Health Group announced the $7 million in awards that will be spread across several states, including New Mexico.

Dr. Stephanie Peace, director of Women’s Health Center at La Clinica De Familia, said high-quality services during pregnancy are critical to ensuring strong families and healthy pregnancies.  Peace said through a news release that La Clinica de Familia will expand services into rural areas.

Doulas will also receive some help.  

Doulas can be important in the birthing process because they can be a resource for parents to understand their options for supporting a healthy pregnancy and can help with finding health care providers and support groups.  

Co-Director for the New Mexico Doula Association, Melissa Lopez-Sullivan said the $100,000 will be used within the association across the span of the next two years. The money will be used to build “long-term workforce sustainability” for doulas in New Mexico. 

“Specifically, this funding will help us deliver comprehensive training and support that includes technical assistance in Medicaid credentialing and billing, CPR and HIPAA certification, self-care and sustainability tools, healing from trauma, and continued education in anti-racism, trauma informed, and gender-affirming care,” Lopez-Sullivan said.  

“These trainings will be delivered through a combination of in-person gatherings and virtual workshops, ensuring access for rural doulas across the state.”  

She added that doulas are trained non-medical professionals who provide emotional, physical, and informational support for people during pregnancy, birth, postpartum and even miscarriages or abortions.  

“Community-based doulas, in particular, often share cultural, linguistic, and/or geographic connections with the families they serve, offering care rooted in trust and continuity. These doulas provide advocacy, spiritual support and culturally specific care that centers the wisdom and needs of the communities they serve,” she said.   

Doulas play a role in improving birth outcomes and advancing health equity. They help address inequities by providing consistent, culturally responsive support throughout the perinatal journey.  

“Research shows that having a doula reduces the likelihood of cesarean births, increases breastfeeding success, and leads to better physical and emotional outcomes for parents, babies and families,” Lopez-Sullivan said.  

She said the workforce is not the sole focus of the grant money but supporting doulas emotionally and economically as Medicaid reimbursement becomes available for doula services in New Mexico.  

New Mexico Doula Association has partnerships with organizations like Tewa Women United, the Navajo Birthworker Collective, New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force and Breath of My Heart Birthplace to contribute to a statewide ecosystem that supports community-rooted doulas who work to ensure families with access to support.  

“We envision a future where birth is safe, dignified, and rooted in community, and this funding brins us one step closer to that goal,” she said.