Posted on April 30, 2026

By Pamela Robinson

Read on Huntington Now

The Health & Welfare Council of Long Island has partnered with South Shore University Hospital and Chanel’s Comforting Doula Care to launch a new volunteer doula program aimed at expanding maternity support services within the hospital setting.

The initiative integrates trained doulas into South Shore University Hospital’s labor and delivery unit, where they will provide continuous, nonclinical support to patients during childbirth. Organizers say the program is designed to improve maternal and infant health outcomes while enhancing the overall patient experience.

“Through our Maternal Health Programs, the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island is committed to improving maternal and infant health outcomes by investing in education, systems change, and community-driven support,” said Vanessa Baird-Streeter, president and CEO of the council, based in Huntington Station. “By covering the full cost of doula training for this initial cohort, we ensured there was no financial burden for participants while building a skilled, culturally responsive doula workforce.”

The council funded full scholarships for 22 doulas, removing financial barriers to training and allowing patients to receive support at no cost. Participants completed training in March through Chanel’s Comforting Doula Care and have committed to providing a combined 1,000 hours of volunteer service in the hospital. 

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Hospital leadership played a role in preparing for the program’s launch. South Shore University Hospital’s Perinatal Clinical Program reviewed best practices for integrating doulas into a clinical environment and coordinated logistics such as volunteer training and medical clearances.

“This initiative strengthens South Shore University Hospital’s ability to deliver comprehensive, high-quality maternity care by expanding the support available within our labor and delivery unit,” said Dr. Jolene Muscat, vice chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the hospital.

Doulas in the program will offer emotional support, physical comfort measures, and guidance throughout labor and delivery, helping patients feel informed and supported. Organizers emphasized that the cohort was intentionally recruited to reflect Long Island’s diversity, with half of the doulas bilingual in languages including Spanish, Haitian Creole, Yoruba, Algonquin, Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. 

Chanel Jones, founder of Chanel’s Comforting Doula Care, said the collaboration is a step toward making doula services more accessible. “This partnership represents a powerful step toward normalizing compassionate, continuous doula care within hospital settings, especially for families who may not otherwise have access,” she said.

The program also aims to address disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly among Black women. Randalle Lewis, advocacy and coalition manager at the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island, said expanding access to doulas is critical to improving equity in care.

“Doulas are not a luxury; they are a critical part of respectful, culturally responsive care,” Lewis said.