Technology is changing the way patients connect with providers and receive support. Two health leaders and solution developers using technology to increase access to care in their communities are Dr. Joy Cooper and Dr. Olan Soremekun.

Dr. Joy Cooper, MD (she/her) is an obstetrician-gynecologist, and co-founder of Culture Care, a telemedicine startup connecting Black women in California with Black physicians to get trusted health opinions that Black women can feel safe and confident with.

Dr. Olan Soremekun, MD, MBA (he/him) is a trained emergency physician and founder of Cayaba Care, a Philadelphia-based company that provides Black mothers with maternity support services in the form of social services, mental and emotional health support, and prenatal and childbirth education, all via local maternal navigators.

August is National Breastfeeding Month, and August 25-31 is Black Breastfeeding Week — and there is no better time to honor Black birthing parents and amplify the health solutions supporting them. As we celebrate Black Breastfeeding Week, Drs. Cooper and Soremekun share their insights on the role technology and virtual health solutions can play in decreasing health disparities for Black mothers and babies.

In Full Health (IFH): Why did you start a health care organization that prioritizes the health of Black and brown women, mothers, and birthing parents?

Dr. Joy Cooper: Number one, was this feeling of, “If I don’t do it, what options do patients have besides the health care system as is?” If you’’e a patient and you have one delivery that goes wrong, it can really change your life.

The second reason is that I wanted people to have trusted opinions and to feel validated for feeling the way they do — but also to have someone who can say it to you like it is. Having a Black doctor makes it easier to communicate, and can help patients feel like they can share their fears, worries, and concerns, and really be seen and heard.

Dr. Olan Soremekun: When I was working in emergency departments in Philly, I saw firsthand the many difficulties patients — especially pregnant patients — have navigating the health care system.

Then, by happenstance, as I was thinking about solutions I wanted to build, my wife and I got pregnant for the first time. I saw the challenges we were having navigating the system even though we had resources and knowledge. But the more time I spent looking at the maternity space, the more I recognized that U.S. outcomes have become worse over time, for multifaceted reasons. We built Cayaba Care to really try to address and build solutions for communities where health disparities exist and where there is the greatest need.

IFH: Dr. Cooper, as a Black woman, you have experience on both sides of the medical table — both as a patient and a physician. How has this impacted your perspective, your practice, or your work at Culture Care?

Dr. Joy Cooper: The biggest thing for me about being a patient, especially around giving birth, was that I had the privilege of being a physician. I had different ears. I knew what things to say to get people to pay attention. I went out of my way to make sure I had a team that I was comfortable with, and I was able to do that because I knew those people, and I also had insurance. That’s what kind of made me realize, “Oh my gosh. It takes so much for me as a physician to feel comfortable giving birth knowing what I know and knowing who I know — what can I do for patients who don’t have that same privilege and access?”

Expressing Gratitude

I would love to thank Oscar Health. They were a startup when they helped us with a grant for culturally concordant care. They reached out to us after seeing us on Good Morning America, and their partnership is what catapulted us into 2022. I really have to shout them out — not only for wanting to partner — but also in finding future partners for us in their network.

Dr. Joy Cooper, MD
Co-founder, Culture Care

IFH: August 25–31 is Black Breastfeeding Week — what should we keep in mind this year during this health observance?

Dr. Joy Cooper: Black breastfeeding is complicated because of the history and the legacy of Black breastfeeding in America. So many times, Black women weren’t allowed to breastfeed their own children — they had to suckle their master’s children. And your body is constantly being used for work, and breastfeeding your own child is work. I think we still have to celebrate the resilience of Black breastfeeding. The ability to give nutrition to your own child is definitely hard work. We really need to honor people who breastfeed and support them however we can.

Dr. Olan Soremekun: I think it’s important to truly recognize that there are untapped workforces in health care that can have a huge impact. From maternity health workers to community health workers — these are influential individuals in the community that can help drive and improve health outcomes for Black mothers — with breastfeeding being a key example. We must think creatively as to how we listen to, empower, and support these amazing workforces.

Expressing Gratitude

First, I would love to recognize our team of maternity navigators at Cayaba Care. Their empathy, their caring, their connection, and their impact in the community is inspiring. Next, I want to recognize our insurance partners. For us specifically in Philadelphia, Independence Blue Cross has been a great partner in terms of commitment to the mission and the problem that we’re trying to solve. And last, for me personally, my journey has been shaped by lots of mentors along the way who push me to take on big problems in health care and try to solve them. Thank you.

Dr. Olan Soremekun, MD
Co-founder and CEO, Cayaba Care

IFH: Both of your companies connect Black mothers with breastfeeding resources, maternal navigators, and physicians in a virtual space. How is technology key to increasing this access?

Dr. Joy Cooper: As a Black physician, I had patients who were coming from 3 hours away in traffic to see me because I was a Black female doctor. And so I thought, “If you don’t need something that needs to be done physically — if you just wanted to talk to me — wouldn’t it be more convenient to do that virtually?” Virtually seeing me and seeing I’m a real person and understanding me, I think it’s easy to foster a real relationship. Technology can help us create intimate spaces, and we can deliver quality, accessible health care.

Dr. Olan Soremekun: There are so many benefits to breastfeeding, but it can be challenging and many people need additional support, sometimes at unexpected times along their journey. The key to ensuring higher breastfeeding rates and compliance is in how we provide that support — to be there before and when the trouble starts and guide people through the critical moments. Technology helps us build those relationships and allows us to be there to provide that support quickly and easily.

At Cayaba Care, we designed our technology and our solution with our patients and our customers in mind. It’s centered around the questions of, “How do we make it really easy for patients? How can we meet them where they already are?” So we use text, we use an app, and we use different methodologies that recognize that a patient might only be engaging with us on a cellphone — not a laptop or a bigger device.

IFH: What impact do you hope innovative health solutions can have on Black breastfeeding and beyond?

Dr. Olan Soremekun: We often think about the impact we have on patients — and we are always working towards better overall health and increased rates of breastfeeding. But beyond that, we also need to think about the impact we’re able to have on the workforce, many of whom are Black mothers themselves. For each one of our local maternity navigators, Cayaba Care gives them a true opportunity to impact outcomes in their own communities. I think about one of our maternity navigators, who had worked at a health system as a medical assistant for over a decade, but she was stuck because she didn’t have a nursing degree, medical degree, or a PA degree.

When she joined us at Cayaba Care, she saw an increase in salary and future earning potential, she’s invested more in her training, and she’s thinking about buying a home — all of those things are really impactful to her long-term success in the community and beyond. Imagine doing this work in even just 20 cities around the country. When you’re investing in your workforce while you’re providing pregnancy support services, you have an impact on a community’s health and economic health. It’s all connected: maternal health, rates of breastfeeding, child health. It’s truly exciting.