LHCC Strategy Meeting · October 21, 2026
A Year of Growth
Mary's Hands Network: 2026 Update
One year later, Louisiana is still an F.
The grade has not moved. Our impact has.
#1
Highest maternal mortality
rate in the United States
392
Louisiana babies lost before
their first birthday last year
36%
C-section rate
(WHO recommends 10–15%)
F
March of Dimes grade
Baton Rouge · New Orleans · Lafayette
Since 2023, our impact has only grown.
And we have been privileged to be present
for more than 550 of them.
6
of 9 health regions across the state
239 families applied in 2026.
Where every one of them is today.
76
Matched
with a doula team; 57 birth records so far
15
Onboarding
moving toward a team right now
148
Not matched
here is why
Why 148 families weren't matched.
No response after outreach
90 61%
Other / not serviced
27 18%
Outside our service area
15 10%
Most of the families we lose, we lose to silence, not capacity. A warm handoff from LHCC care coordinators could change this number.
Who reached out.
57%
Black or African American
76%
household income
under $50,000
1 in 2
Medicaid MCO members
LHCC is our largest single payer: 44 applicants this year.
Where families found us.
Insurance company, including LHCC
29
MHN doulas and past clients
11
Better than Louisiana.
Better than the nation.
| Metric |
WHO |
National |
Louisiana |
MHN |
Impact |
| C-Section Rate | 10–15% | 32% | 36% | 18% | 51% fewer |
| Preterm Birth | 9.4% | 10.4% | 14% | 5.5% | 61% fewer |
| Breastfeeding Initiation | | 60% | ~55% | 86% | +31 pts |
Based on 133 MHN doula-attended birth records, October 2023 to October 2026
Only 7% of births ended in an unplanned C-section.
The cycle of support.
4
clients who came
back as doulas
8
doulas who came
back as clients
5
mother-daughter
teams in our network
The community took hold of this and started pulling it forward on its own.
New partners. New funding.
Support that grew alongside our impact this year.
Louisiana Blue Foundation
Funding a doula match for 50 doulas over the year.
Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation
Grant funding this year, with two more years of grant making ahead.
Capital Area United Way
Piloting our new workforce development arm.
Louisiana Healthcare Connections
Our original supporter, and partner from the very beginning.
The road to Medicaid reimbursement.
Done
Organization Medicaid ID secured
The process took the entire year.
In progress
First reimbursed claim
Not yet reimbursed. We are still pushing forward.
Next
Sustainable reimbursement
Billing that helps fund doula care for every family.
Workforce development: meet Abria Scott.
Our first staff doula, and the first step in our workforce development pilot.
Trained
Completed MHN doula training
Applied
Louisiana Doula Registry
Mentored
Three months one-on-one with Madeline
January
Registry-listed and Medicaid-reimbursable
From no experience to a Medicaid-reimbursable doula by January.
The online curriculum is complete.
Our full doula training now lives in MHN's online learning platform.
A built-in AI tutor
Learners can ask questions about their practice, or ask for more explanation on any lesson, right inside the app.
On the table today
The Data Driven Doula textbook, the Companion Workbook, and The Bereavement Doula. Please take a look.
Louisiana's model is getting noticed.
4
presentations this year, including WIC
ICEA
International conference, Salt Lake City
AWHONN
Invited to the national conference in Tennessee
Organizations in multiple states want to launch programs with our curriculum.
Our team.
Madeline Harris LeBlanc
Founder & Executive Director
Breea Carter
Operations Director
Kerionne Lewis
Doula & Training Programs Coordinator
Abria Scott
Staff Doula
Trisha Thatai
Serve Louisiana Corps Member, Communications & Outreach
In Her Honor: A Legacy in Lavender
Mary's Hands Network's first awards gala.
Friday, January 8, 2027 · 6 to 9 p.m.
Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel
We would love for LHCC to submit a nomination for the Legacy of Care Award, which is open to organizations. Nominations close Friday, October 30.
maryshandsnetwork.org/awards
Every birth deserves a doula.
Find us. Let's build this together.
maryshandsnetwork.org
Mary's Hands Network
www.maryshandsnetwork.org
(225) 892-4906
info@mhndoula.com
mleblanc@mhndoula.com
bcarter@mhndoula.com
IRB Protocol #2025-001 · ICEA-Approved Training · 501(c)(3) EIN 92-2430838