1/ On this final day of #BlackHistoryMonth & on this #CiteBlackWomenSunday, I am overflowing with gratitude as I share my first @NEJM publication.

🧵to reflect and give thanks

Without Sanctuary | NEJM nejm.org/doi/full/10.10… 2/ I am indebted to so many for this piece--but most especially, my patients. They are so much more than my muses. They are the ones that force me to confront myself & strive for something better; my greatest teachers; & are my true north when the why gets hard to see or remember

1/ A thread on our recently published perspective @PSRHjournal "Community‐Based Doulas & COVID‐19: Addressing Structural & Institutional Barriers to Maternal Health Equity" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.13…

cc: co-authors @uhkti_ayomida @Wendy_LBennett @KellyBowerRN

#CiteBlackWomenSunday 2/ Community-based doulas are birth workers closely tied to the communities they serve. They offer support of birthing people throughout pregnancy, labor, & postpartum AND provide additional services/ resources aimed at addressing social and structural health inequities.

Finally reflecting on incredible @NIMHD Health Disparities Research Institute. I learned, I felt safe, I was inspired, & I left with hope. One pearl of wisdom provided by @DrDeidraCrews on "reconsidering your relationship with failure" really resonated w/ me. THREAD.1/ Actually, every single ( incredibly accomplished) speaker discussed rejection. It seems to be one of the more reliable aspects of academic medicine. @DrDeidraCrews said that this past year she went on a journey to try and "get" as many rejections as she could. 2/

My first thread-wish me luck! More on why Medicaid expansion is important for maternal #healthequty Medicaid covers 25-50% of births in the US and is the largest single-payer of maternity care; Medicaid disproportionately covers low-income women & racial/ethnic minorities. Regarding Medicaid and maternal health, there are two separate/equally important issues.