Thanks to a $50,000 grant award to the Wellstar Foundation from the MolinaCares Accord (MolinaCares), Wellstar will be able to expand critical maternal and behavioral healthcare in Georgia communities through two important programs: the Doula Labor Program and the Soul Support Program.

Through the Doula Labor program, Wellstar addresses the increasing maternal mortality rates in Georgia by providing high risk women with the additional support they need to have a healthy pregnancy. The doula assists them through the pregnancy, labor & delivery, and the immediate post-partum period.

This funding allows Wellstar to support 35 women who otherwise might not have the ability to afford a doula. “The doulas provide amazing one on one care. This person truly is their advocate. They get to know the patients. They are assisting them through this entire process, holding their hand and being there to answer questions and support them every step of the way,” said Michele Riggs, Director of Women’s Health.

Additionally, this grant will fund the expansion of Wellstar’s Soul Support program, which is a community initiative that addresses mental health by providing education and resources within the community. It relies heavily on faith-based organizations to reach people within the environments they feel most comfortable.

Mental health has been a major concern since COVID-19, and in the south it’s especially hard to get the mental health message within the faith-based communities. That’s why this grant will allow the Soul Support program to provide instructor training to faith-based leaders who want to learn how to become suicide prevention instructors.

“We really wanted to target our faith-based communities with education and resources to help support individuals and to help beat down that stigma. I’m really excited about the change that we’re making at the grassroots level. Being able to go into the community where they are and provide the information that they need,” said Julie Wallace, Community Impact Specialist for Soul Support.

Wellstar Foundation is grateful for the generosity of MolinaCares and the ability to partner with them to remove barriers to healthcare and make a real impact in improving healthcare outcomes.