KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tonia Wright, founder and CEO of Altruism Inc., is on a mission to save the lives of new and expecting mothers and their babies.
Black and Brown women are at a significantly higher risk during childbirth, with mortality rates more than double those of their white counterparts. Wright has dedicated her organization to improving maternal and infant health outcomes.
“Black women have a two times higher, sometimes more than two times higher mortality rate than white women,” Wright said.
Her organization specializes in maternal and infant care, aims to provide comprehensive health and social services through a dedicated team of doulas, community health workers, and midwives.
Wright says makes all the difference.
“They are less likely to have a C-section, they are less likely to have a mental episode, they are more likely to breastfeed, and they are less likely to deliver preterm,” she says.
In response to alarming statistics that show Missouri ranks 44th in the nation for maternal health outcomes—with over 70% of maternal deaths being preventable—Altruism has partnered with the Samuel Rodgers Health Center to open a new facility in Kansas City's urban core, on the west side.
“This includes everything from the doula services to OB visits, to WIC, to dental, to mental health, to even diaper insecurity through a partnership with Healthy Bottoms," Wright said. "When you talk about wrap-around care, this partnership does that.”
“What we’re going to do is make sure that kids are brought into life with a fighting chance and being healthy right from the start," Samuel Rodgers Heath Center CEO Bob Theis said. "Gives them everything they need to thrive and be a contributing member of the community.”
Theis says they are in the works of building a 30,000-square-foot pediatric wing with an additional space for 4,500 kids. The building is slated to open in November.
"Most people here at Sam Rodgers speak a language other than English," Danica Cherry, director of grants management at Samuel Rodgers, said. "It's very important that we're able to serve those who need us the most and to improve maternal health outcomes."
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