Join us in changing the narrative of maternal and infant health in our community with the construction of our birth center.
THE NEED FOR A BIRTHING CENTER
This is a critical time for women and babies as their health outcomes are indicators of national, state and community health. If mothers and babies are not thriving, or even living, then that is a direct indication that the community, state and/or nation is not well. BBC is committed to changing the narrative of maternal and infant health in the community with the construction of a birth center. The establishment of a birth center is an important next step in providing patient-centered, cost-effective, and high-quality maternity care.
A birth center is a facility that provides a home-like setting for women to give birth with the assistance of trained midwives. The focus of a birth center is to provide individualized, family-centered care to women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum.
THE NEED FOR A BIRTHING CENTER
This is a critical time for women and babies as their health outcomes are indicators of national, state and community health. If mothers and babies are not thriving, or even living, then that is a direct indication that the community, state and/or nation is not well. BBC is committed to changing the narrative of maternal and infant health in the community with the construction of a birth center. The establishment of a birth center is an important next step in providing patient-centered, cost-effective, and high-quality maternity care.
A birth center is a facility that provides a home-like setting for women to give birth with the assistance of trained midwives. The focus of a birth center is to provide individualized, family-centered care to women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum.
LOCATION
Northeast Ohio is home to several major healthcare institutions in the world. Yet, it also has some of the worst health and birth outcomes across the population. In Cuyahoga County, of the 13,204 babies born in 2020, 101 didn’t make it to their first birthday. 73% of these babies were Black. At BBC, our work has already started to change the narrative as it is proven to save lives, build families, and provide a more secure future for our community. The Birth Center is yet another step in improving birth and health outcomes for our community.
After careful evaluation of various potential sites in and around Hough, a Cleveland neighborhood with an infant mortality rate 4X as high as the national rate, the development team has successfully pinpointed a vacant lot obtainable through the City of Cleveland’s Landbank program. This particular lot is situated at the intersection of East 65th Street and Chester Avenue, which holds significant cultural and community importance within the Hough district.
East 65th Street serves as home to several long-standing institutions, including League Park, the Fatima Family Center, Chateau Hough, as well as newly-established landmarks such as The Cleveland Foundation’s upcoming headquarters,
the Allen Estates, and a new Cleveland Public Library. The coalescence of these establishments, both old and new, affords exceptional opportunities for partnership for the organization, particularly with its long-term benefactor, The Cleveland Foundation.
The Cleveland neighborhood, Hough has an infant mortality rate 4X as high as the national rate.
BENEFITS OF A BIRTHING CENTER
The Birth Center complements the doula work of Birthing Beautiful Communities and goes further, providing added support to mothers and babies during one of the most important times in their lives. These benefits include patient-centered care, lower costs, fewer interventions, increased patient satisfaction and improved access to care.
BENEFITS OF A BIRTHING CENTER
The Birth Center complements the doula work of Birthing Beautiful Communities and goes further, providing added support to mothers and babies during one of the most important times in their lives. These benefits include patient-centered care, lower costs, fewer interventions, increased patient satisfaction and improved access to care.
PATIENT-CENTERED CARE
Birth centers offer a patient-centered approach to maternity care. This approach empowers women to take an active role in their care, resulting in better health outcomes for both mother and baby.
LOWER COSTS
Birth centers are typically less expensive than hospital births. The cost of hospital births includes high-tech medical interventions that may not be necessary for a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Birthing centers, on the other hand, offer a more natural approach to childbirth which results in lower costs and more affordable care.
FEWER INTERVENTIONS
Birth centers promote a natural approach to childbirth and use fewer medical interventions such as inductions, epidurals, and c-sections. As a result, women who give birth in birth centers experience fewer complications, thus leading to better birth outcomes.
INCREASED PATIENT SATISFACTION
Women who give birth in birth centers report higher levels of satisfaction with their care. This level of patient satisfaction contributes to positive birth experiences and improved mental health outcomes for both mother and baby.
IMPROVED ACCESS TO CARE
The establishment of birth centers in critical communities can improve access to care for pregnant women, resulting in better health outcomes for both mother and baby.
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CAPITAL & RESOURCES NEEDED
CAPITAL & RESOURCES NEEDED
The Birth Center will include four birthing suites, two exam rooms, stations for the medical team, office space for the BBC team and a community room to host training, workshops, etc. With this new building, BBC will continue to provide doula support services in the birth center, along with well-women’s care, prenatal, birth and postpartum midwifery care, parenting classes, pregnancy and childbirth classes, family activities, exercise classes, family counseling services and breastfeeding support. The operations for the birth center will be supported by a team consisting of an administrator, director of patient services, a midwife, and a nurse.
The total cost of this campaign is $15M which includes the cost for construction, operations, and endowment for the Birth Center.
Below are key milestones for the construction and completion of the Birth Center:
FEASIBILITY
• Preliminary Architectural Design July 2022 – October 2022 (Completed)
• Perform Feasibility Analysis July 2022 – October 2022 (Completed)
• Submit City Landbank Application August 2022 (Completed)
• Deliver Feasibility Analysis October 31, 2022 (Completed)
• Present Feasibility Findings to BBC Staff November 4, 2022 (Completed)
PRE-DEVELOPMENT
• Zoning Analysis May 2023 – September 2023
• Phase I, Market Study, Appraisal May 2023 – September 2023
• Select Advisory Committee November 2023
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
• Release Architectural RFP December 2023
• Select General Contractor January 2023 (Completed)
• Approve Land Bank Application February 2023 (Completed)
FINANCING | August 2023
CONSTRUCTION | November 2024
OPERATIONS | February 2025
JOIN OUR VILLAGE OF JOY
JOIN OUR VILLAGE OF JOY
Despite the often challenging nature of the current maternal health landscape in Northeast Ohio, we are proud to have cultivated a vibrant Village of Joy. This village consists of the dedicated birth workers that support, advocate for, and empower expectant and new mothers no matter where they are on their journey. Through the work of our doulas, we are able to experience the beautiful and joyous moments of early motherhood – starkly contrasting the statistics we are actively combatting.