Health Equity Alliance of Long Island (HEALI) is Long Island’s Social Care Network, led by Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, and integrates health and social care providers serving Nassau and Suffolk Counties. To join as a CBO partner or to find resources, please click here
Policy & Advocacy
We work with local, state, and federal government partners to advocate for effective policy decisions that will impact our neighbors and hometowns.
Coalitions & Grass Roots Organizing
We bring together nonprofits, business leaders, and lawmakers to discuss solutions to our region’s challenges.
Direct Services
We operate a series of programs that connect Long Islanders with the services they need.
Welcome to the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island
At the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island (HWCLI), our work is to ensure that our region is a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone to live. We can set the standard for what an equitable region looks like. That means safe communities, decent, affordable housing, healthy food, access to care and an opportunity to thrive. In our quest for improvements and systemic change, we face a unique set of obstacles. In fact, the poverty rate today is at its highest since 1959. Given the current assault on the country’s most vulnerable communities, our work is more important than ever.
Our Impact
11350 |
People served in 2023 alone |
76 |
Years Serving Long Island |
200+ |
Partnering Organizations |
Recent News
April 18, 2025
Medicaid-enrolled doulas get new way to keep notes on the women they serve
By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith
Read on Newsday
Updated April 18, 2025 12:32 pm
Medicaid-enrolled doulas assisting Long Island women during pregnancy and after birth now have access to a new platform that aims to alleviate administrative hurdles and lead to better outcomes for their babies, officials said.
The Health and Welfare Council of Long Island and Soter Technologies on Thursday launched a client management platform called Doula Notes, which provides the birth assistants with one place to document information like appointments, notes and births.
"It is about equitable access," said Vanessa Baird-Streeter, president and CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. "It's about removing barriers for doulas."
The launch of the client management platform, which is free, comes after New York State allowed doula services to be covered under Medicaid in 2024. Today, pregnant women who are on Medicaid can get doula services that include "eight perinatal visits before or after the birth and continuous support during labor and birth," according to the state Department of Health’s website.
About 45 doulas serve Long Island, according to the DOH’s doula directory.
By easing administrative burdens, health officials hope more people will have access to doula services, which can include birthing plans and labor support, and become Medicaid-enrolled doulas to help combat the nation’s maternal mortality crisis.
Between 2018 and 2020, roughly 120 pregnancy-related deaths took place in New York, according to the state Department of Health. There were stark racial disparities, with Black women having a "a pregnancy-related mortality ratio five times higher than" white women, the DOH said.
Research has shown that having a doula may improve some birth outcomes.
Yet, many doulas had not become Medicaid-enrolled providers, citing concerns about the long reimbursement times and paperwork, Baird-Streeter said. Health insurance may cover part of the cost of a doula.
Doula Notes, which cost about $100,000 to develop, is designed to bridge the gap in a way that is compliant with health care privacy laws. The platform allows doulas to code prenatal visits, whether the person had a C-section and other key information that might be audited by Medicaid. The Health and Welfare Council of Long Island said they convened bimonthly meetings with doulas on Long Island to ensure the platform was geared toward their needs.
Chanel Jones, a birth doula who founded Chanel's Comforting Doula Care, has used the platform.
Doula Notes, she said, simplifies an often difficult and cumbersome Medicaid billing process by allowing documentation to be in one place.
In the future, she hopes it will encourage more doulas to accept patients who are enrolled in Medicaid, allowing them to be able to "help the community where it matters the most," Jones said.
April 18, 2025
April 3, 2025
Forum on the impact of Medicaid cuts on LI set for April 7
By Adina Genn
April 3rd, 2025
Read on LIBN
Federal policymakers are considering an $880 billion cut in government spending through 2034. One program that appears to be in the crosshairs is Medicaid, which provides healthcare coverage to low-income people.
To address concerns about how those cuts would affect Long Island, Nonprofit Resource Hub (NRH) is hosting a forum, “The Potential Impact of Medicaid Cuts.” The event is slated for Monday, April 7, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at EPIC (Extraordinary People in Care) Long Island in East Meadow.
The event will bring together nonprofit executives, healthcare leaders, policymakers and advocates.
“The numbers are staggering and the consequences for our communities would be devastating,” Alison La Ferlita, NRH executive director, said in a news release about the event. “This is why every nonprofit leader and healthcare advocate should be in the room.”
The proposed cuts could lead to a 16 percent reduction in federal Medicaid funding across the country, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report released last month. Those cuts could lead states to raise taxes, reduce other essential programs such as education, or cut Medicaid coverage, according to the study.
The possibilities are concerning to those who help the vulnerable gain access to healthcare and other services.
“Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of Americans, providing essential health care services to low-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities,” Vanessa Baird-Streeter, President & CEO of the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island, said in the news release.
“As a nonprofit sector we need to do all we can to advocate for sustaining Medicaid funding,” she added. “Drastic cuts would not only jeopardize the health and well-being of our community members but also place immense financial strain on state budgets and local economies.”
Lisa Burch, president and CEO of EPIC Family of Human Services, shared similar concerns.
“Long Island’s most vulnerable communities rely on a strong Medicaid safety net,” Burch said in the news release.
“If our recent experience with the Suffolk County Legislature taught us anything, it’s that when the Long Island nonprofit community stands together, we can make a real difference. You don’t have to be directly impacted by federal contract terminations or the looming Medicaid cuts to be part of the solution. We need a collective strategy now—not after decisions are made in Washington. This forum is our opportunity to be proactive,” she said.
Registration is required. Admission is $10 for NRH members, and $15 for non-members.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Events
9
Sep
2025
06:00 pm - 10:00 pm
The Piermont, Babylon, NY, 11702
HWCLI Endless Summer Soiree on the Bay
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