Molina Healthcare of Ohio and Pacify Award Inaugural Diversity in Lactation Consulting Scholarship

Winners will receive $1,000 to cover the cost of becoming a board-certified lactation consultant.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Molina Healthcare of Ohio and Pacify, a health technology company that provides 24/7 infant feeding support to new and expecting parents, have awarded four recipients the Diversity in Lactation Consulting Scholarship, the first of its kind in Ohio.

Winners Yukeana Stallworth, Nabila Buwe, Sherveriria Harris and Errin Weaver will receive $1,000 to cover the cost of the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners exam required to become a board-certified consultant. Their comments are below.

Why is winning Pacify's Diversity in Lactation Consulting Scholarship so meaningful to you?

Yukeana: So much has been lost on our children because mothers have misinformed or discourage from providing adequate breastfeeding technique. Our mothers need our support, resources, and education now more than ever. With Pacify's Diversity in Lactation Consulting Scholarship, this is what I hope to achieve.

Nabila: Winning Pacify's Diversity in Lactation Scholarship is so meaningful to me because it aims to promote diversity in an area of motherhood where there are already many disparities. As Muslim, Somali-American women, I am able to acknowledge the disparities faced by the women whom I identify with. I hope to provide culturally-competent care that is judgment free and truly supportive of each mother's needs. This scholarship will allow me to further gain the knowledge and skills needed to better support the patients or clients I work with in the future. There are significant racial and ethnic disparities in breastfeeding rates and maternal mortality rates of women of color in the United States that should no longer be ignored. I believe that each awardee of this scholarship is one more individual willing to help address these issues.

Sherveriria: I was so excited to hear that I was awarded the 2022 Pacify scholarship. It definitely will help to alleviate some of the financial burden associated with the cost of required classes and testing associated with becoming an IBCLC. I also felt like my voice was heard throughout this entire process. It means a lot to communities of color, that an organization is committed to making institutional changes in order to diversify the lactation field.

Errin: Winning this scholarship is meaningful in that it allows me access to networks and knowledge in order to provide optimal service to my clients with the hopes of fortifying my community. The dismal outcomes for Black women and babies shines a light on the possibility that the health system is failing the Black community. We must take steps to increase representation on all fronts and ensure equity in order to begin to shift this narrative. This effort by Pacify is a step toward that end.

"We are excited to offer the scholarship to four excellent recipients," said Ami Cole, plan president for Molina Healthcare of Ohio. "Molina is committed to health and well-being of the communities we serve, and this scholarship not only benefits the recipients but the health of newborns and their mothers."

"These four recipients will be amazing lactation consultants," said Melanie Silverman, MS, RD, IBCLC, Chief Clinical Officer of Pacify. "The lactation profession has a long way to go to improve diversity, but this cohort of people joining the ranks of lactation consultants is a bright spot as we work towards better representation of minority groups within the profession. We are so grateful to Molina for helping to make this happen."

Pacify enables new and expecting parents to connect to its network of more than 100 IBCLCs who provide 24/7 infant feeding support via video chat on their smartphones. Through partnerships with forward-thinking health plans across the country to implement evidence-based strategies that increase member engagement, boost quality scores, improve outcomes and reduce the cost of care, Pacify prioritizes building and sustaining a provider network designed for all new parents.

Read more about our scholarship winners https://www.pacify.com/molina-ohio-diversity-in-lactation-consulting-scholarship/

Pacify's Lactation Mentorship Program
While the Diversity in Lactation Consulting Scholarship removes some of the financial barriers, we know there is more that can be done to support our winners. Together, Molina Healthcare of Ohio and Pacify, are committed to not only removing financial barriers, but also to contributing to the success of future IBCLCs of color. We believe that by nurturing diversity we ensure the future of a healthy and relevant lactation profession.

That is why Pacify has created the Lactation Mentorship Program, in which current Pacify Lactation Consultants serve as mentors for scholarship awardees for a year long mentorship program. This program is meant to holistically support mentees along the path to becoming an IBCLC. With support from Pacify's Clinical Department, mentors will provide a framework for navigating the IBCLC pathways, choosing an education program, reviewing clinical cases, preparing for the exam, interviewing skills and more.

We are happy to announce that all four scholarship winners will be participating in Pacify's Lactation Mentorship Program.

About Molina Healthcare of Ohio
Molina Healthcare of Ohio has been providing government-funded, quality health care since 2005. The Company serves members through Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare-Medicaid (Duals) and Health Insurance Exchange programs throughout Ohio. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, served approximately 5.2 million members as of September 30, 2022. For more information about Molina Healthcare of Ohio, visit MolinaHealthcare.com.

About Pacify
Pacify is the leading health technology company that provides 24/7 perinatal and infant feeding support to new and expecting parents. Pacify's network of 100+ lactation consultants, doulas and registered nurses have helped more than 100,000 families, reducing costs and improving outcomes in partnership with managed care organizations, health systems, non-profit organizations and employers across the country. For more information about Pacify, visit Pacify.com.