St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health used Title V funds to implement the Birth Equity Community Council (BECC), a collaborative to improve birth outcomes and reduce infant mortality disparities. In 2018, Ramsey County’s infant mortality rate was 6.5 deaths per 10,000 live births, compared with 4.7 deaths per 10,000 live births in the state. Concealed in both rates are deep inequities among Black and American Indian infants, who die at far greater rates than white infants. In Ramsey County, poor birth outcomes, specifically low birthweight and prematurity, are highest among infants of U.S.-born Black women.

BECC uses the “Ready-Set-Go” Framework, a CityMatCH model for implementing community-wide health and healing strategies. BECC has implemented strategies to address the drivers of inequities in birth outcomes (e.g., poverty, racism, racial healing and prenatal care). BECC engages the community in bi-monthly dialogues to prioritize health topics using the Perinatal Periods of Risk methodology. BECC members identified supporting fathers as key priority area, and the Doula Dads project was created. This project empowers fathers to be supportive and vocal in the birth process by training men as certified perinatal educators (doulas) on infant care topics, such as safe sleep. Through this initiative, 9 men participated in doula training and earned certification as Doula Dads. Additional details of BECC’s work are described in the 2019 infant health report narrative.