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Independence Blue Cross and Cocolife.black host roundtable discussion on Black maternal health

Seun O. Ross and Lorina Marshall Blake (Photo credit: Jared Gruenwald/Left Eyed Studios)

This month, Independence Blue Cross (Independence) and Cocolife.black hosted a roundtable discussion on Black maternal health.

The roundtable discussion, “Birth Workers Roundtable: A conversation to acknowledge, engage, and empower birth workers and health professionals as they support our moms,” took place during Black Maternal Health Week, April 11-17. It focused on how to best address the disparities in maternal health care and share resources.

Seun O. Ross, Ph.D., executive director of Health Equity at Independence, and Lorina Marshall-Blake, vice president of Community Affairs at Independence and president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, were part of the roundtable discussion. They were joined by:

  • Janay Hawthorne, Pennsylvania State Representative candidate
  • Bria Anderson, creator of the Millennial Mom personal lifestyle blog
  • Joel Austin, president and CEO of Daddy University
  • Tiffany Barrett, doula and doula educator
  • Anika Tillery, founder of Writings on the Wall (moderator)
  • Leroy Miles, associate pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church (moderator)

Cocolife.black is a community resource available to the public and is designed to support Black and Brown moms during pregnancy, postpartum, and loss of a child or significant loved one. It provides easy access to education and community resources such as free diapers, formula, and childcare services.