Welcome to The Bond: Our Babies, Our Voices.

In this episode we bring together a panel to celebrate Black Maternal Health Week 2025 in Minnesota.

We are joined by Dr. Nathan T. Chomilo, Medical Director for the State of Minnesota’s Medicaid & MinnesotaCare programs; Dr. Rachel Hardeman, a leading reproductive health equity research and one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2024; and Shannon Gibney, an award-winning author and professor. The panel is moderated by Kimberly Seals Allers, the founder of the Irth App. 

Kiwi Cares 501(c)3 is a non-profit in Minnesota that works to improve maternal health outcomes. We work towards our goal by collaborating with community partners and filling gaps in funding to support families.

Welcome to The Bond: Our Babies, Our Voices.

In this episode we bring together a panel to celebrate Black Maternal Health Week 2025 in Minnesota.

We are joined by Dr. Nathan T. Chomilo, Medical Director for the State of Minnesota’s Medicaid & MinnesotaCare programs; Dr. Rachel Hardeman, a leading reproductive health equity research and one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2024; and Shannon Gibney, an award-winning author and professor. The panel is moderated by Kimberly Seals Allers, the founder of the Irth App. 

Kiwi Cares 501(c)3 is a non-profit in Minnesota that works to improve maternal health outcomes. We work towards our goal by collaborating with community partners and filling gaps in funding to support families.

In this episode we will hear from a mom who had three different doctors during her pregnancy and delivery. The care team and mom navigated the challenges of hypertension, preeclampsia, the baby's size and how the mom felt with induction timetables. 

Our partner featured in this episode is the Division of Indian Work: https://www.diw-mn.org/
To learn more about Ninde Doulas, visit: https://www.diw-mn.org/health. 

In this episode we will hear from a mom who navigates the healthcare system through interpreters. We also hear about the common occurrence of separating moms and babies during the early hours of life. Please email [email protected] for a full translation of Liz's experience. 

Our partner featured in this episode is the Division of Indian Work:
https://www.diw-mn.org/

Camila Valenzuela-Panza is the Ninde Doula Lactation Specialist. She is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant. She has 2 children whom she breastfed for 3 years each, and in those struggles became a passionate advocate for informed consent, and helping families reach their lactating goals and reduce barriers. She also enjoys hiking, sewing, cooking, and dancing. 

In this episode we will discuss hear from Jerriah and several other moms about their experiences. Specifically we will explore how moms are advocating and voicing their needs but their needs are not being addressed. This episode also provides a brief history of gynecology and its roots in slavery.

Featured partners: The Snuggle House Foundation: https://www.snugglehousefoundation.org

CDC Hear Her Campaign: https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/index.html

Kiwi Cares 501(c)3 is a non-profit in Minnesota that works to improve maternal health outcomes. We work towards our goal by collaborating with community partners and filling gaps in funding to support families.

Welcome to The Bond: Our Babies, Our Voices. In this episode we will discuss the maternal health landscape in Minnesota; particularly why we are seeing disparities across Minnesotans. We will also hear more about the Kiwi Cares team and the partners who contributed to this podcast. Please tune-in for the subsequent episodes that will center more directly on birthing people's voices. 

More information on maternal mortality in Minnesota, including The Minnesota Maternal Mortality Update.

Noya Woodrich is the Child and Family Health Division Director at the Minnesota Department of Health. She previously worked for the City of Minneapolis Health Department, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, and the Division of Indian Work. Woodrich is an Alaskan Native, a member of the Athabascan tribe located in central Alaska. She is passionate about maternal and child health and the reduction of health and social disparities, specifically in the American Indian community.

Dr. Mira Grice Sheff is the Minnesota Department of Health's State Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist and the interim Women's Unit Director. She is also the Principal Investigator for the Minnesota Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (MN PRAMS), a joint project between the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that is designed to find out why some babies are born healthy and others are not. Prior to joining the health department, she was an assistant professor at State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, where she conducted research and taught graduate-level courses in the subjects of women’s health and injury and violence prevention. She received both her Masters and PhD from the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences.

Kiwi Cares 501(c)3 is a non-profit in Minnesota that works to improve maternal health outcomes. We work towards our goal by collaborating with community partners and filling gaps in funding to support families.

Coming soon -- The Bond: Our Babies, Our Voices.