The Village of Healing Center: Developing a Maternal Health Medical Clinic Centered on Racially Concordant Care

Background and Purpose: The disproportionate representation of Black women in adverse health outcomes, particularly in maternal health, is a well-established concern. Racially concordant care, which involves providing healthcare services by providers who share the same racial or ethnic background as the patients, has emerged as a promising strategy to mitigate healthcare disparities among African Americans. This care model aims to enhance cultural understanding, trust, and communication between patients and healthcare providers. Research has also shown benefits in racially concordant care such as reduction in infant mortality rates, increased patient adherence to healthcare guidelines, higher patient satisfaction and improved patient processing of healthcare information. In response to these disparities, the Village of Healing Center was established in February 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio offering Black patients access to medical care provided by Black providers. Available services include obstetrics, gynecological, mental health, and primary care. This study presents findings from a process evaluation conducted on this innovative care model, focusing on its role in addressing racial disparities in maternal and infant health.

Methods: Two focus groups were conducted with the founders and five staff members of the Village of Healing Center. Each focus groups lasted between 30-45 mins and was conducted via zoom. The discussions explored the Center’s purpose as well as the experiences of staff working at the Center. Qualitative data from the focus groups were analyzed using an inductive approach and interpreted through a phenomenological lens. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively.

Results: Qualitative analysis identified four key themes 1) purpose and intentionality behind the Center’s establishment 2) effective communication between leadership and staff, 3) issues of mistrust and the impact of systemic culture 4) the importance of building authentic relationships with patients. Additionally, preliminary quantitative findings explored patients’ previous experiences with medical racism and discrimination, as well as healthcare utilization and maternal health trends.

Conclusion and Implications: These findings illuminate the pervasive ways that race affects how patients and providers communicate, make treatment decisions, and bring subconscious racial perceptions to the medical room regardless of either person’s intent. This presentation will emphasize how the Village of Healing Center has intentionally designed its medical clinic to prioritize cultural humility by offering racially concordant care to its patients. By striving to create a medical environment where clients feel acknowledged, understood, and valued, the Center seeks to address the disparities in maternal and infant outcomes. Given the strong evidence linking racially concordant care with improved health outcomes, advocating, and supporting medical models centered on racial concordance is imperative to achieve equitable maternal health outcomes.