Staysha Quentrill is a midwife helping Black and brown Appalachian women get the care they need to deliver healthy babies. She advocates for patients to have better access to midwives outside of hospitals and helped draft a West Virginia bill to make this possible.
As the Guardian reported: "Research shows more positive health outcomes and greater satisfaction when patients share the same race or ethnicity as their providers."
Quentrill's goal is to get professional midwives licensed — not just certified — so that their services are covered by insurance and Medicaid. This is crucial because resource extraction in the region negatively and disproportionately affects the small percentage of nonwhite Appalachians there, according to research from ProPublica.
As a 35-year-old mother of seven, Quentrill is concerned about the many parts of West Virginia that have no hospitals or birthing centers. Expectant mothers there often cannot access prenatal care or must travel long distances to get it.
Nonpartisan research group March of Dimes gave West Virginia an "F" grade for preterm birth rates because of its 13.1% rate of babies born before 37 completed weeks of gestation.
Even women who live near larger towns and cities frequently can't get the care they need. About 30% of West Virginia's population is on Medicaid, and insurance does not cover home births and certified nurse midwife care.
Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality?
However, Quentrill has discovered that the women she helps with childbirth are more comfortable with midwives they have commonalities with and can relate to.
"In a world where microaggressions happen and racism can be so subtle, having somebody with you that you've created a bond with can let those [vigilant] parts of yourself down," Quentrill said. "That way you can just be fully present for the birth instead of having some sort of guard up to protect yourself."
Looking ahead, Quentrill is looking to adapt her services to help more minority patients. She is interested in providing free childbirth classes for patients and post-birth caregiving instruction for their family members.
Meanwhile, some of Quentrill's past patients are inspired by her work and following in her footsteps. One woman who trusted Quentrill with her at-home birth is now pursuing a public health degree and working as a breastfeeding peer counselor.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
|
Do you think more places of worship should embrace clean energy?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Yes — it sets a positive example 
Wherever you live, you can also take local action to support affordable care for expectant mothers and donate to organizations that support climate resilience and sustainable public health. These actions are a step in the right direction because of how closely linked climate issues are to maternal health.
"When it comes to Black and brown midwives, we're tasked to create care for Black and brown people," Quentrill said, and to "fix this problem that we didn't cause."
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
