HIROC Community Corner Series
Spotlighting Subscriber Voices from Across the Country
Welcome to our newest series that aims to amplify HIROC Subscriber voices and the important work they are doing to positively impact the healthcare system across Canada. The Community Corner series is unique as each edition focuses on a topic that is top of mind right now from experts in the field. We help answer questions about topics you’ve likely been wondering about!
First up is Althea Jones, Registered Midwife and founder of Ancestral Hands Midwives. HIROC has been following and admiring all the work Althea has been doing to bridge gaps in Black reproductive health.
As you know, knowledge sharing is the cornerstone of HIROC and Black reproductive health is a topic which requires more eyes, more awareness, and more education.
Meet Althea!
The article below is authored by Althea exclusively for HIROC Community Corner.
Bridging the Gap: Top 3 Tips from Ancestral Hands Midwives for Advancing Black Reproductive Health
Despite Canada’s universal healthcare system, Black birthing people continue to face disproportionate rates of poor outcomes, obstetric violence, and systemic neglect. Ancestral Hands Midwives (AHM), Ontario’s first Black-focused, community-based midwifery program, has become a model for transformative, culturally safe care. AHM’s experience offers critical insight for healthcare organizations seeking to advance equity in maternal health.
Here are AHM’s top three tips for closing the gap in Black reproductive health:
1. Invest in Racial Concordance and Community-Rooted Care
Research and lived experience show that racially concordant care improves outcomes, increases trust, and reduces trauma. AHM’s model is led by Black midwives who understand the cultural, historical, and social realities shaping their clients’ experiences. Care is delivered through extended visits, trust-based relationships, and deep cultural grounding.
Healthcare organizations must prioritize hiring and retaining Black practitioners while also building pipelines for Black students. Where immediate racial concordance isn’t possible, training non-Black providers in culturally safe, anti-racist care is essential.
Community-rooted models, where providers are embedded in, and accountable to, the populations they serve, are key to building lasting trust and driving systemic change.
2. Expand Care Beyond the Clinic Walls
Black birthing people are often forced to navigate fragmented systems during their most vulnerable moments. AHM emphasizes wraparound support, including doulas, lactation consultants, mental health therapists, and housing and immigration navigation services.
Healthcare systems must reimagine the boundaries of perinatal care. This means securing partnerships across sectors; advocating for funding models that support continuity of care before, during, and after birth; and integrating culturally aligned supports that address social determinants of health. Birth does not begin or end at the hospital door, care shouldn’t either.
3. Collect and Use Race-Based Data Responsibly
Lack of disaggregated race-based health data continues to obscure disparities and limit advocacy. AHM calls for a shift in practice: collect race-based data ethically and use it to drive change, not perpetuate harm.
Organizations must develop frameworks that center cultural safety and community accountability in data collection. It’s not just about proving disparities, it’s about documenting what works. AHM uses client feedback, narrative storytelling, and tailored metrics to show impact and push for systemic reform.
Ancestral Hands Midwives is not simply providing care, it is redefining what care can look like. For healthcare organizations seeking to close the gap in Black reproductive health, the path forward begins with shifting power, listening deeply, and resourcing models that are already working. Equity isn’t an initiative, it’s a responsibility.
Thank you, Althea Jones and Ancestral Hands Midwives for spotlighting Black reproductive health.
Now we’re looking to the HIROC Community to help action what Althea shared!