Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene celebrated a major milestone for the Citywide Doula Initiative: more than 4,200 people have received doula care through the program since its launch, many of them in neighborhoods most affected by health and socioeconomic inequities.
The administration also recognized six hospitals - including four NYC Health + Hospitals locations: Elmhurst, Jacobi, Lincoln and Metropolitan - as the first hospitals to complete the Citywide Doula Initiative's Doula-Friendly Hospital Program, which promotes doula-friendly policies and practices in hospital maternity settings.
MetroPlusHealth, New York City's health plan for City employees and their families, has also announced an expansion of its Gold Plan benefits to include doula coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
Together, these efforts mark a major expansion of access to doula care across New York City. Doula support is associated with improved health outcomes for birthing parents and infants and can help make pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period safer and more supportive.
"This milestone speaks to the power of one of our City's most successful programs: the Citywide Doula Initiative, which has already supported thousands of families, including in communities that have been too often left behind by our health care system," said Mayor Mamdani. "4,000 people served is only the beginning. We are expanding access through our public hospitals and to City employees because every New Yorker deserves support to bring a child into this world safely and with care."
"Community-based doula programs support the mental, emotional and physical well-being of expecting families, especially in Black and Latino communities where families have faced deep inequities and higher rates of maternal mortality," said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. "The Citywide Doula Initiative is a powerful program that brings support to those who need it most, particularly those who too often are unable to access critical resources. We look forward to celebrating thousands more New Yorkers served by this remarkable initiative."
"Serving more than 4,000 clients through the Citywide Doula Initiative is a testament to what's possible when we commit to equity in maternal care," said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin. "Ensuring doulas are recognized as valued members of the care team is critical to strengthening maternal care, so we are proud to recognize six hospitals for adopting doula-friendly policies and practices and increasing referrals to doulas. We also applaud MetroPlusHealth for further expanding access to doulas for City employees and their families, which will improve health outcomes for parents and their babies. The data is clear: expanding access to doula care leads to healthier outcomes, particularly for Black and Latino families, and a more equitable healthcare system, and the Mamdani administration is leaning in."
Helping Hospitals Become More Doula-Friendly
Through the Citywide Doula Initiative's Doula-Friendly Hospital Program, the Health Department brings together community-based doula programs and maternity hospitals to strengthen collaboration between clinical providers and doulas and support hospitals in adopting doula-friendly policies and practices.
Participating hospitals create environments where doulas are recognized as an important part of the care team, with the broader goal of advancing equitable birth outcomes for Black and Latino New Yorkers, who are more likely to experience medical complications before, during and after giving birth.
Research shows that doula support is associated with fewer cesarean births, fewer preterm and low-birth-weight babies and lower rates of postpartum depression. People who work with a doula are also more likely to breastfeed and report feeling satisfied with their maternity care. Collaboration between doulas and clinical providers and ensuring doulas are part of the care team in hospital settings can help maximize these benefits.
The following hospitals are being recognized as the first group to complete the Doula-Friendly Hospital Program:
- Jamaica Hospital Medical Center
- Montefiore Medical Center
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan
Referrals tracked by the Health Department from these hospitals to doulas have increased sixfold, from 100 during the three years from 2019 to 2021 to 603 from 2023 to 2025.
An additional group of hospitals is participating in the Doula-Friendly Hospital Program and will receive certificates upon completion. These include NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens, St. Barnabas Hospital and SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Additional hospitals will be admitted to the program as capacity allows.
Four community-based doula organizations collaboratively implement the program: Ancient Song, Bronx (Re)Birth and Progress, Brooklyn Perinatal Network and Caribbean Women's Health Association.
Expanding Access to Doulas Where Needed Most
The Citywide Doula Initiative provides free, nonmedical support to thousands of pregnant New Yorkers who are income-eligible for Medicaid, with a focus on neighborhoods most affected by health and socioeconomic inequities, as identified by the Civic Engagement Commission's Taskforce for Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE) Neighborhood Initiative. In addition to its geographic focus, the program aims to reach Black and Latino New Yorkers, as well as people who live in homeless shelters or foster care and those who will be teen parents.
On June 30, the Health Department published its annual "State of Doula Care in NYC" report, which examines the landscape of doula care in the city, including populations with lower access to doulas, successes and challenges facing the doula workforce, legislation affecting doula care and recommendations for stakeholders.
The report also analyzes data from questionnaires completed by every person who gives birth in New York City as part of the birth certificate worksheet. New York City is the only place where this level of data collection on the prevalence of doula support exists. In 2025, 6.7% of New Yorkers who gave birth - more than 5,600 people - reported having doula support during pregnancy and 6.1% reported having a doula during childbirth. That marks a significant increase from 4.9% during pregnancy and 4.4% during childbirth reported in 2022, when the Citywide Doula Initiative began.
In addition to the Doula-Friendly Hospital Program, the initiative's work to promote change across the maternal health care system includes co-leading the New York Coalition for Doula Access, a statewide group of doulas, clinical partners and advocates working to advance equitable access through policy and systems change. The coalition focuses on achieving a livable wage for doulas through Medicaid reimbursement and advancing the doula-friendly hospital model.
Expanding Doula Care Coverage for City Employees
At the request of the Health Department and NYC Health + Hospitals, MetroPlusHealth, New York City's health plan for City employees and their families, announced that it will introduce doula coverage as part of its commitment to advancing maternal health outcomes.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, the new benefit will include up to eight prenatal or postpartum visits, plus one in-person labor and delivery support visit per pregnancy. MetroPlusHealth serves nearly 700,000 members across New York City, and its network includes tens of thousands of providers, including more than 40 hospitals and urgent care centers.
"Our doulas provide an invaluable service to our communities by ensuring mothers and birthing people receive comprehensive, personalized care before, during, and after childbirth," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. "By expanding access to doulas across the city, we are ensuring families receive the necessary birthing services to improve health outcomes, particularly in neighborhoods where parents and children have been the most affected by years of medical neglect, systemic inequities, and high rates of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity. Today's announcement is a significant win for birth justice, and I am grateful to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYC Department of Health and Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin for their continued commitment to championing initiatives that strengthen support systems for families across our city"
"Families of color have for far too long been negatively impacted by longstanding disparities related to maternal care," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "Fortunately, the success of the Citywide Doula Initiative and the addition of doula coverage for many city employees are both going a long way toward addressing these disparities and toward creating better outcomes for mothers and their babies overall. I offer my heartfelt thanks to all those who are supporting doulas across Queens and all of New York City as doulas do their great work to empower families and help them thrive."
"I know firsthand how much a doula can mean during pregnancy and childbirth. To have someone in your corner who makes you feel supported, heard, and less alone shouldn't be a luxury. It should be a right," said New York City Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez. "The Citywide Doula Initiative has spent years bringing that kind of support to the neighborhoods hit hardest by health and economic inequities, and reaching over 4,000 clients is proof of that. That's why I've worked to make sure this program isn't temporary, but a permanent part of how we support families in this city. Parents deserve to welcome their children with dignity and support."
"Doula care works. Over 4,000 New Yorkers have been served through the Citywide Doula Initiative, said New York City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, Chair of the Committee on Hospitals. Hospitals are now getting certified through its Doula-Friendly Hospital Program, and city workers will have doula coverage through MetroPlusHealth starting in 2027. I am a nurse. I know, these are the investments that change outcomes for mothers and babies."
"At a time when too many New Yorkers continue to face inequities in maternal health care, expanding access to doula support across our communities, hospitals, and health coverage is more important than ever," said New York City Council Member Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Committee on Health. "The Citywide Doula Initiative reaching more than 4,000 clients is an incredible milestone and a powerful testament to the need for culturally responsive, community-based maternal care. I am also thrilled to see hospitals taking meaningful steps to become more doula-friendly and to see MetroPlusHealth expand doula coverage to City employees and their families. These investments help ensure that more New Yorkers can access the support they deserve throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. I commend Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for their continued leadership in advancing healthier pregnancies, healthier births, and better outcomes for families across our city."
"Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is proud to participate in the Citywide Doula Initiative, which aligns with our core values," said Dr. Janice Krystal Ascencio, Chair of Jamaica Hospital's OB/GYN Department. "The patient population we serve faces significant healthcare disparities and socioeconomic challenges, making the delivery of equitable, high-quality maternal healthcare a top priority for us. Through this program, we are committed to expanding access to doula care, which will not only help improve patient outcomes but also foster trust between families and medical teams."
"We have long recognized the valuable role doulas play in ensuring our patients feel supported, informed, and heard throughout their birth experiences," said Rodney L. Wright, MD, MSc, FACOG, vice chair, Montefiore Health System and professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "The doulas in our hospitals serve as not only extra hands as part of our comprehensive care team, they also can decrease the risk of postpartum anxiety and depression. We are proud to partner with the New York City Department of Health to expand access to doula services and strengthen advocacy efforts on behalf of our patients and their families."
