UAMS and University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana Partner to Offer College Credit to Doula Trainees
| LITTLE ROCK — Participants in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation’s doula training program are now able to receive college credit, thanks to a continued partnership between UAMS and the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana (UAHT).
By coupling this program with the state’s passage of the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act earlier this year, officials at the institute say they are proud to work with other state leaders to advance the role of doulas in the state. The act, signed into law by Gov. Sarah Sanders in February, also establishes presumptive Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women.
In addition to training participants to navigate self-employment amid the Medicaid changes, trainees can now receive up to seven hours of college credit through UA Hope-Texarkana.
“Arkansas’ approval of Medicaid reimbursement for doula services earlier this year marked a powerful step toward recognizing the essential role doulas play in maternal and infant health,” said Krista Langston, executive director of community programs at the institute. “Pairing that progress with college credit not only elevates the profession but also validates the expertise and dedication doulas bring to the health care system.”
The institute launched its enhanced doula training program earlier this year, enrolling 60 trainees from across the state who will receive doula certification upon program completion later this year. The training program includes 29 hours of training with Birthing Beyond, LLC, an approved DONA International certification program; 40 hours of training with Ujima Maternity Network of Conway; 45 hours of Certified Breastfeeding Counselor training; and six months of mentorship.
“This program has completely transformed my understanding of childbirth and my ability to help families in my community,” said Robin Mero Butler, a participant in the doula training program. “UAMS does everything it can to help you build a new career from the ground up: the business aspects, how to thoroughly and confidently prepare a pregnant woman for birth, how to conduct yourself in various birth settings, and supporting the new family postpartum. I feel privileged to have participated and hope many others join the program so that all Arkansas families have supported births with the best outcomes.”
Doulas are trained birth coaches who provide continuous emotional and physical support throughout labor and delivery. Research shows that incorporating doula support into maternal care significantly improves birth outcomes, including lower rates of interventions like cesarean sections and preterm births, while enhancing maternal satisfaction, infant health and parental engagement. Additionally, doula-assisted care is linked to reduced maternal and infant mortality, decreased postpartum depression and average health care cost savings of nearly $1,000 per birth.
To learn more about the institute’s doula training program, visit uams.health/doula.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###