Pomelo Care Acquires The Doula Network, Becoming The Only National Maternity Care Model to Offer Virtual & In-Person Care, Greatly Expanding Access Across the United States

The Doula Network is The Largest Network of Credentialed Doulas in the United States, In-network with Major Commercial and Medicaid Plans

Acquisition Comes as States are Rapidly Requiring Health Plans to Offer Doula Care, Increasing Demand

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Pomelo Care, the national leader in evidence-based maternity care, announced the acquisition of The Doula Network, the largest network of credentialed, in-network doulas in the United States. The acquisition follows Pomelo's recent $46 million Series B raise and the release of peer-reviewed data showing improvement in clinical outcomes via its personalized, proactive care model. With this acquisition, Pomelo grows its covered lives to over 15 million, including over 1 in 6 Medicaid beneficiaries nationally.

Pomelo Care will fully integrate The Doula Network into its care model, which consists of unlimited, virtual, round-the-clock care delivered by a dedicated team of OBGYNs and pediatricians, midwives, nurses, dietitians, therapists, and lactation experts. With the addition of The Doula Network, patients may also now be partnered with a community-based doula. This team wraps around patients' existing OB or midwife, and addresses their medical, behavioral, and social needs to improve outcomes for mother and infant.

This hybrid virtual and in-person care model is a first for maternity care. The unique combination of national scale and on-the-ground, local community support significantly expands access to high-quality maternity care in the United States for millions of women. Currently, only 6% of women in the United States receive doula care, but demand is increasing: 13 states plus Washington D.C. now require Medicaid reimbursement for doula services, 30 more states are actively taking steps toward doula reimbursement.

"Acquiring The Doula Network allows Pomelo Care to offer something never before available at scale in the United States: in-person doula support paired with unparalleled access to evidence-based, virtual care that will dramatically improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes while reducing avoidable costs," said Marta Bralic Kerns, founder & CEO of Pomelo Care. "Health plans are rapidly integrating doulas into their networks to meet growing demand and they have overwhelmingly chosen The Doula Network as their partner, making them the clear market leader. This in-person, community-focused approach, coupled with our existing virtual care model, will allow us to scale dramatically, accelerate our work delivering evidence-based maternity care, and continue to address the maternity healthcare crisis in America."

Pomelo Care is working to address the national maternity care emergency in the United States. Today, 1 in 10 babies born in the U.S. are admitted to NICUs, 1 in 8 births occur in counties with low or no access to maternal care, more than a third of counties are maternity care deserts, maternal morbidity rates are higher than peer countries and there are vast, unacceptable disparities in outcomes for people of color.

In addition to providing physical, emotional, and informational support to patients, research shows doula care improves maternity outcomes and health equity, particularly among Black mothers. Compared to high-risk pregnant patients who do not receive doula care, patients under doula care during labor and delivery are 2x less likely to have a birth complication, 4x less likely to have a low-birth-weight baby, 40% less likely to have a cesarean delivery, and experience lower rates of preterm birth – improving outcomes, lowering cost, and reducing disparities.

Both Pomelo Care and The Doula Network have demonstrated data showing meaningful improvement in key measures of maternal and infant health across their patient populations.

• With Pomelo's care model, data shows: 
  • Increased rates of evidence-based aspirin prophylaxis by 2.4x, proven to reduce preeclampsia risk by 25%.
  • Increased completed mental health screening rates by 7x, proven to reduce perinatal depression risk by 40%.
  • Increased rates of follow-up care in response to a positive screen for perinatal depression by 1.7x relative to routine clinical care.
• Among The Doula Network patients, data shows: 
  • A 26.3% cesarean section rate compared to the 32.4% national average.
  • A 5.5% low birthweight rate compared to the 8.6% national average.

This month, Pomelo will present data at both the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Global Congress and the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition showing significant reductions in avoidable emergency room, inpatient, and NICU utilization as a result of Pomelo's care.

Elizabeth Simmons, MS, CD, founder and CEO of The Doula Network, who will now serve as the Head of Doula Network for Pomelo Care, shared, "By acquiring The Doula Network, Pomelo Care is expanding desperately needed access to evidence-based maternity care and supercharging the doula ecosystem nationwide. With a worsening maternal and infant health crisis and too many women not knowing where to turn for support, this acquisition will allow us to scale our doula network and meet rapidly increasing commercial and Medicaid demand for community-based doulas. I could not be more proud of the company we built and am thrilled to be joining forces with Pomelo Care to bring our high-quality doula care together with Pomelo's personalized, evidence-based maternity care model."

About Pomelo Care

Pomelo Care is the national leader in evidence-based maternity care. Pomelo provides care and high-touch support for women during preconception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and their infant's first year. Pomelo's care model consists of virtual, round-the-clock clinical care coupled with in-person doula care. This unique combination of national scale and on-the-ground community support is proven to address key medical, behavioral, and social factors that improve maternal and infant health. Through data science and machine learning, Pomelo identifies and manages risks to dramatically improve health outcomes and reduce avoidable costs. Pomelo works with employers and commercial and Medicaid health plans. For more information, visit pomelocare.com. To learn more about integrating doulas into your provider network, visit pomelocare.com/doula-network.

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Julie Halpin
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SOURCE Pomelo Care