bold idea
Reduce poor maternal health outcomes for low-income women and birthing people of color in Alabama by increasing access to comprehensive midwifery care.
organization overview
Oasis Family Birth Center seeks to eliminate birth inequity through creation of a comprehensive, collaborative birth team. It incorporates evidence-based obstetrics, centering on the midwifery model of care. The team also includes physicians, doulas, nutritionists, therapists, and lactation consultants. The Center’s holistic approach optimizes health during pregnancy in hopes of creating lifelong healthy habits.
Personal Bio
Heather Skanes is the founder and executive director of Oasis Family Birthing Center. As an OB/GYN, Heather has assisted hundreds of women through their pregnancy journeys. Inspired by the birth justice movement, Heather works to improve outcomes for women of color in the low-income neighborhood in which her private practice is located. She was introduced to the midwifery model of care during her residency at Morehouse School of Medicine and was shocked to realize its underutilization in her home state of Alabama. In 2021, she developed her own private practice, which partners with community midwives. Heather was selected as a 2022 Tory Burch Fellow and Prosper Birmingham Magic City Match Recipient. She is actively involved in her community, providing educational workshops to local organizations and preceptorships to midwifery students.
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