4 BMC Innovations that Have Advanced Black Maternal Health

Black Maternal Health Week 2025 brings forth the importance of our community voices, leadership, and lived experience in the design of perinatal, maternal, and reproductive care. This year’s national theme, “Healing Legacies: Strengthening Black Maternal Health Through Collective Action and Advocacy,” highlights the need for restorative approaches aimed at improving health outcomes.

Transformative approaches to Black maternal healthcare have been implemented in and around our communities. From community-based support groups to our mobile postnatal care, these four programs and services demonstrate how Boston Medical Center (BMC) has put our community members at the center of their own care.  

1. Centering Pregnancy

BMC offers Centering Pregnancy, a program that takes a communal, collaborative learning approach to prenatal care. Instead of quick, one-on-one visits with a provider, participants can meet in a group of 8 to 12 other pregnant people in a supportive environment. Read more to learn how the program complements individual provider visits and what patients are saying about this new approach.

2. Remote blood pressure monitoring

Under the umbrella of the Health Equity Accelerator, BMC launched a high-tech remote blood pressure monitoring program offering full postpartum and prenatal blood pressure care. Since its inception in 2020, the program has grown to its current capacity, supporting around 1,400 high-risk patients for developing pregnancy induced hypertension or preeclampsia annually. Read more about the program that was awarded the Hypertension Innovator Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

3. Curbside Care

Curbside Care is a mobile visit program that provides mother-infant dyadic care during the first six weeks following birth. Initially a pandemic-era care solution, BMC’s Pediatric and Obstetrics departments have continued to offer a suite of services typically provided in a traditional clinical setting to mothers and babies, thanks to the generous support from the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation. The program helps around 500 patients annually. Read how the program has transformed postnatal care and meets the hospital’s tiniest patients, too.

4. Birth Sisters

Birth Sisters at BMC is a doula program geared toward connecting people with medical and social risk factors for adverse health outcomes to resources, education, and community. Through the program, patients may receive assistance on navigating healthcare systems and community resources, emotional support and education around health literacy, among other support. Overwhelmed with success so far, the program anticipates doubling its impact from supporting 250 births per year to 500 births in the coming year. Read more to see what mothers and providers are saying about this rapidly growing community-driven approach to maternal care.