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Urgent Action Required: March1 Deadline
Support Doula Access in NC!!! Doulas improve birth outcomes, but only if they are paid a living wage. We’re advocating for sustainable Medicaid reimbursement rates. Tell NC leadership that healthy moms are worth the investment. Click the link to send your letter now!
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It’s a wrap!
The big day may have come and gone, but keep in touch as we’re always advocating for change in NC.
Maternal Health Advocacy Action Hub
3 Minutes to Make a Difference for NC Moms & Babies
Accountability saves lives. We are calling on NC legislators to pass SB 838 and the Wells Act to ensure every birthing person gets the dignified care they deserve. Join our letter campaign today!
Equity Requires Action
Engagement Tip: The "Power Tag" Strategy
Social Media can be used as a powerful vehicle for change. Use it to your advantage. Tag key decision-makers directly in your advocacy stories or posts. This creates "digital pressure" that is hard to ignore.
- Tag: @NCDHHS (Secretary Dr. Devdutta Sangvai Department)
- Tag: Your local Senator/Representative (e.g., @SenNatalieMurdock)
- Use Hashtags: #NCMOMnibus, #WellsActNC, #BirthJusticeNC, #NCGA #TMSACT, #Action4Equity
Call Script
You: "Hi, my name is [Name] and I am a constituent from [County/City]. I’d like to speak with [Senator/Representative Name]'s office regarding Senate Bill 838."
(Once connected to the staffer):"I am calling to urge the [Senator/Representative] to support the NC MOMnibus (SB 838) and specifically the Wells Act. It is vital that we hold hospitals accountable for safe discharge protocols to protect laboring mothers. Can I count on the [Senator/Representative] to support this bill in the upcoming session?"
Public COmment template
This draft is designed for the current federal public comment period (Docket No. CDC-2025-0750), which closes on January 20, 2026.
It emphasizes the critical need for continued, robust maternal health data—especially given recent disruptions to the program—and can be sent as an individual organization or a coalition of partners.
To: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Re: Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations; Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)
Docket No.: CDC-2025-0750
Deadline: January 20, 2026
To Whom It May Concern,
On behalf of [organization/coalition name], we are writing to strongly support the extension and strengthening of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). As a [title/role]dedicated to maternal and infant health in North Carolina, I view PRAMS as an irreplaceable pillar of the public health infrastructure.
1. The Critical Utility of PRAMS Data PRAMS provides the only comprehensive, population-based data on maternal experiences and behaviors before, during, and after pregnancy. Unlike birth certificates, which provide clinical snapshots, PRAMS captures the "why" behind maternal health outcomes—tracking issues like postpartum depression, housing stability, breastfeeding barriers, and access to prenatal care.
2. Addressing Recent Disruptions I am deeply concerned by the recent pauses in data collection and staffing reductions at the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health. These disruptions threaten the continuity of 40 years of longitudinal data. [organization/coalition name] urges the CDC to:
- Ensure Timely Reporting: Modernize the data processing pipeline to reduce the lag between collection and the release of actionable state-level data.
- Maintain Site Capacity: Provide consistent funding and technical support to state health departments to prevent further suspensions of data collection, such as those seen in other jurisdictions in 2025.
3. Informing Policy and Health Equity In North Carolina, PRAMS data is essential for identifying disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality among Black and Indigenous birthing people. This data is currently being used to:
- Advocate for sustainable Medicaid reimbursement for doula services.
- Monitor the impact of expanded postpartum Medicaid coverage.
- Design targeted vaccination programs (e.g., Pertussis and Influenza) in high-risk regions.
Conclusion Without the robust, high-quality data provided by PRAMS, our ability to implement evidence-based interventions and hold systems accountable for maternal health outcomes will be severely compromised. [organization/coalition name] urges the CDC to not only extend this information collection but to prioritize its full restoration and modernization.
Sincerely,
[organization/coalition name]
[title/role]
Letter Campaign Template: Maternal Health Accountability
To: [Representative Name] / [NC DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley]
Subject: Urgent Support for SB 838 and Maternal Health Accountability
Dear [Name],
I am writing today as a [constituent/partner/health advocate] to urge your active support for Senate Bill 838 (MOMnibus 2.5/3.0) and to emphasize the importance of the upcoming NC DHHS Maternal Health Report due in 2026.
Despite our state's medical advancements, North Carolina continues to face a maternal health crisis that disproportionately impacts Black and Indigenous birthing people of color. We believe that state-level policy must prioritize Clinical Accountability to ensure every patient is treated with dignity and safe medical standards.
Specifically, we are calling for:
- The Passage of SB 838: Including the Wells Act provisions, which mandate that hospitals implement "Safe Discharge" protocols to prevent patients in active labor from being turned away.
- A Transparent DHHS Report: We ask that the 2026 report on the Maternal Mortality Prevention Grant Program explicitly include data on the effectiveness of implicit bias training and doula integration.
- Sustainable Funding: Allocating the necessary funds to move these programs from "pilot" status to permanent state fixtures.
North Carolina’s families cannot wait. We need policies that hold systems accountable for the care they provide and ensure that no mother is left to labor in a hospital parking lot or n the side of the road.
I look forward to hearing your position on these life-saving measures.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Organization/Address]
Tips For Maximizing Impact & Successful Distribution
- Find Your Local Rep: Use the NCGA "Who Represents Me" tool (above).
- Personalize the Templates: Add one sentence about why maternal health matters to your specific county or organization. Legislators' spam filters flag identical "form letters." Include a personal detail or a local landmark to prove you are a real human.
- To email your Representative know that in NC, legislative emails follow a standard format: FirstName.LastName@ncleg.gov.
- Use a "High-Priority" Subject Line: Staffers scan subject lines to decide what to open first. Always include the Bill Number and the word Constituent.
Bad Subject: Support the MOMnibus.
Good Subject: CONSTITUENT: Please Support SB 838 (MOMnibus 2.5/3.0)
Better Subject: VOTE YES on SB 838 - Constituent from [Your City/County]
- The "Ask": State clearly in the first two sentences what you want them to do (e.g., "I am writing to urge you to support SB 838, the NC MOMnibus").
- The Why: Briefly explain why this matters to you or your community. Mention the Wells Act or Medicaid Doula Reimbursement.
- The Response: End by saying, "I look forward to hearing your position on this bill."
- CC the Leadership: Always carbon copy (CC) the Committee Chairs listed below so they see the volume of support. They have the power to decide which bills get a hearing, and the primary sponsors of SB 838, who can use your community support as leverage in negotiations.
- House Health Chair- Rep. Larry Potts (R) (Emphasize the Wells Act and clinical accountability.)
- Senate Health Care Chair- Sen. Joyce Krawiec (R) (Ask her to calendar SB 838 for a committee hearing.)
- Appropriations (Funding)- Rep. Donny Lambeth (R) (Focus on the cost-effectiveness of doula reimbursement.)
- SB 838 Lead Sponsor- Sen. Natalie Murdock (D) (Send "Letters of Support" to bolster her advocacy.)
- SB 838 Sponsor- Sen. Sydney Batch (D) (Thank her for her leadership and share local data/stories.)
- Submit physical letters by Feb 15 to have all letters sent before the March 1st Medicaid deadline to maximize impact.
- CC the "Legislative Assistant" (LA) too: Every NC legislator has an assistant. Their email is often listed on the member's profile page. Copying the LA ensures the email is seen by the person who actually manages the legislator's schedule.
- Share once your letter is sent so we can celebrate our collective advocacy efforts.
Since the campaign also involves the DHHS report, copy these officials on correspondence:
- Secretary Kody Kinsley: NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
- Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson: State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer.
The "Golden Rule" of Contact: If you Rather Call...
It is absolutely essential to identify as a constituent. In fact, most legislative offices will not even log or record your message if they cannot verify that you live in the district they represent.
Why it matters so much
- The Power of the Vote: Legislators are primarily concerned with the people who can vote for (or against) them in the next election. Their job is to represent their district, not the entire state or country.
- Filtering the Noise: Offices receive thousands of emails and calls. Staffers are trained to "screen" communications. If a caller doesn't provide a local zip code or address, the staffer often assumes they are an "out-of-district troublemaker" or part of a generic national bot-campaign, and the message is usually discarded.
- Internal Tallies: Every day, staffers give the legislator a "tally" (e.g., "15 constituents called in support of the MOMnibus, 2 called against"). If you aren't a constituent, you don't make it onto that tally.
The only exceptions are if you are calling a Committee Chair (because they oversee the bill for the whole state) or if you are speaking as a Subject Matter Expert (like a doctor or doula, YES doulas are thought leaders and subject matter experts too) who serves people in their district.
How to "Prove" You are a Constituent
When you call or write, lead with your connection to the district.
- In a Phone Call:
"Hi, my name is [Name] and I am a constituent living in [City/Zip Code]. I’ve lived in this district for [X] years, and I’m calling to ask the Representative to support SB 838."
- In an Email or Letter: Always include your full street address at the bottom of the email or in the header of the letter. This is the only way the staff can verify you are "one of theirs" in their database. Legislative offices use software to filter emails by zip code. If you don't provide your address, your email might be automatically moved to a "non-constituent" folder.
What if you aren't a constituent but want to help?
If you want to support a bill but don't live in a key legislator's district:
- Contact your own rep first to ask them to "co-sponsor" or "speak to their colleagues" about the bill.
- Identify as a Professional: "I am not a resident of your district, but my organization provides healthcare services to over 500 families who live there." This gives the legislator a "political" reason to care about what you have to say.
Service Areas
The Piedmont Triad of NC and select surrounding areas!
Cities: Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point, Kernersville, Thomasville, AND Salisbury
Counties: Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin
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If you are experiencing financial issues that are barriers to obtaining doula support specifically and/or don't qualify for Medicaid? Apply for a grant to cover services through the Black Equity Fund with Dove and/or the Birthing Justice Care Fund of Sistersong.
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