Flourish Care and NeighborHealth Announce Partnership to Advance Maternal Health Equity in Massachusetts
Thousands of families now have access to insurance-covered doula support — offering a collaborative model for FQHCs and hospitals across the region
BOSTON, MA (August 24, 2026) – NeighborHealth, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) serving diverse communities across Greater Boston, and Flourish Care, a tech-enabled maternal healthcare company providing insurance-covered doula support, gathered at the health center’s 20 Maverick Square location to commemorate their growing partnership to expand access to culturally responsive doula care for MassHealth families across Massachusetts.
Since first connecting in late 2024, the two organizations have built a collaborative model that integrates doula support directly into NeighborHealth’s care pathways for OB/GYN and Family Medicine patients — bringing continuous, culturally aligned physical, emotional and informational support before and after childbirth to hundreds of families at no cost to the patient.
“At NeighborHealth, we believe that every family deserves care that sees the whole person– not just the clinical moment,” said Dr. Monica Mendiola, Medical Director, OB/GYN, NeighborHealth. “Partnering with Flourish Care allows us to offer our MassHealth patients social, emotional and physical support during and after pregnancy, an approach proven to improve maternal health outcomes for new and expecting moms which, in turn, benefits the health of the entire family.”
Research consistently shows that patients with access to a doula experience a lower rate of cesarean delivery, reduced preterm birth, improved breastfeeding initiation and greater satisfaction with their care. For the clinical team, doulas act as trusted partners — reinforcing care plans, improving communication and helping patients feel confident during their pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey.
In early 2025, NeighborHealth and Flourish Care launched integrated doula services, designed to be simple for providers and meaningful for families:
- Streamlined/ Integrated referral workflows connecting NeighborHealth patients directly to a network of credentialed, culturally aligned doulas
- Regular joint care coordination and data review meetings between clinical and doula teams
- Provider and care navigation education sessions on integrating doula support into existing care plans
- Collaborative community events and maternal health outreach to reach families early in pregnancy
- Ongoing work to expand access for non-English-speaking and high-risk populations
Flourish Care manages all referral intake, doula matching, care coordination and insurance billing – removing administrative complexity so that NeighborHealth’s clinical teams can refer with confidence and focus on care.
“Doulas fill the gaps between clinical visits and support the moments when families have questions, fears, or just need someone in their corner,” said Melissa Bowley, Founder & CEO of Flourish Care. “The continuity of doulas is what makes the difference. They work alongside the clinical team, so no one is navigating this alone. NeighborHealth shares that vision, and together we’re building the model that proves it works.”
The partnership also builds on NeighborHealth’s broader commitment to maternal health equity, including recent efforts led by Mimi Gardner, Vice President and Chief of Community Partnerships, NeighborHealth, to convene statewide leaders around more equitable care. With MassHealth coverage for doula services in place since late 2023, models like this one offer a roadmap for FQHCs and hospital systems looking to make that coverage real for the families they serve.
This partnership is part of Flourish Care’s growing national network, and reflects a shared belief that every family, regardless of insurance status or zip code, deserves continuous, compassionate support through one of life’s most important moments.
(From left to right) Emily Chase, NP, Associate Medical Director, NeighborHealth; Monica Mendiola, MD, Medical Director, NeighborHealth; Candice Marshall, BD, Community Development Manager, Flourish Care; Melissa Bowley, Founder and CEO, Flourish Care; and Sue Ghosh, MD, Director, Women’s Health Initiatives, NeighborHealth, pose at the East Boston celebration on August 20, 2026.
Surey Rodriguez-Cortes, Lead Doula and Provider Operations Manager, Flourish Care, prepares to address the audience at the partnership event on Thursday.
Members of Flourish Care and NeighborHealth’s OB/GYN team, including Administrative Director Stecy Casseus, enjoy the speaking program at NeighborHealth’s 20 Maverick Square location.
Información Acerca de NeighborHealth
NeighborHealth, formerly East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, is one of the nation’s largest Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and the largest community-based primary care health system in Massachusetts, serving over 120,000 people and recognized by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a National Quality Leader. For more than 55 years, NeighborHealth has offered access to comprehensive primary care, specialty care and emergency care for patients in the Commonwealth. In a first-of-its-kind merger in 2020, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center joined forces with the South End Community Health Center and expanded services to patients who live and work in Boston’s South End and Roxbury neighborhoods. NeighborHealth champions innovative care models to actively bridge health equity gaps in our low-income and immigrant communities. For more information, visit https://neighborhealth.com/es/.
About Flourish Care
Flourish Care provides insurance-covered doula support at no cost to eligible families during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Working with OB clinics, FQHCs, hospitals and payers, Flourish Care connects patients to credentialed, culturally aligned doulas and handles all referrals, charting, coordination, and billing so families and providers can focus on care. Flourish Care has supported more than 4,000 families and works with a network of 600+ doulas nationwide. Learn more at www.flourishcommunitycare.com.
CONTACTO DE PRENSA:
Julia Covelle
781.507.3120
