Local organization working to expand prenatal care in Western Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH — In parts of western Pennsylvania, access to prenatal care is limited, but one local organization is working to change that by training the next generation of caregivers.

Masters of Maternity, known as MOM, has partnered with the Community College of Allegheny County’s Homewood-Brushton campus to create a certified doula training program—the first of its kind in the region.

Gloria Culverson, the organization’s director of policy, said the program has a lasting impact on participants.

“The class is transformative,” Culverson said. “You leave feeling renewed and fresh and ready to take on and advocate as a leader in maternal health. This is what the program prepares you for.”

Although Culverson isn’t a doula herself, she said watching just one class helped her understand the importance of the role.

Since its launch, nearly 100 people have become certified doulas through the program, according to Masters of Maternity founder and CEO Aleta Heard.

“We wanted to make sure that not only are we accelerating the doula profession, but also giving it the quality that families deserve,” Heard said.

This spring, MOM will expand the training to the Community College of Beaver County. Heard said that the need there is urgent—Heritage Valley Beaver is the only maternity care provider in the entire county.

“They have to travel outside the county to get birth support once they’re looking for that type of care,” she explained.

The expansion comes at a critical time. Maternal deaths in the U.S. nearly doubled between 2018 and 2021, according to national health data. Yet fewer than six percent of birthing people currently use doula services.

“Having doulas throughout the region—especially in rural areas where maternal care is already limited—was super important for us to make accessible,” Heard said.

For more information about the certified doula program, visit https://mastersofmaternity.com/.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2025 Cox Media Group