Our Work
Throughout 2021, KBEN members worked collaboratively to develop a research agenda/solutions list to highlight areas of focus to address the Black maternal health crisis. Since 2021, KBEN members have continued to work towards addressing the issues identified in the research agenda while celebrating the role of family in building and sustaining strong, healthy communities.
Check out some of our work below!
The research agenda/solutions list describes areas of focus for birth equity and was created by stakeholders/members of the Kansas Birth Equity Network from across Kansas.
The first iteration of the research agenda was created in 2021 and highlighted three key areas: Healthcare, Systems, and Policy. In 2025, the network released an updated research agenda primarily focused on severe maternal morbidity associated with chronic hypertension. This updated solutions list takes a closer look at high blood pressure during pregnancy and creates clear community-based action steps.
The solutions lists are living documents. As KBEN grows, our stakeholders make changes to incorporate new discoveries and ensure activities align with our mission & vision. We hope that these documents are a useful resource to others as we work collectively towards improving the health of families across Kansas. If this agenda is useful to you, we ask that you credit KBEN and recognize the contributions of our many stakeholders in providing this resource.
In 2023, the Kansas Birth Equity Network was awarded funding through a partnership with Healthy Blue. Through this partnership, we have been able to test the effectiveness of mini-grant funding in building capacity among network members and community-based organizations to address gaps in maternal, paternal, and infant health.
This initiative was internally named the “Broderick Crawford Birth Equity Mini Grants”, in honor of our dear friend, committed stakeholder & fierce advocate, Broderick Crawford, Sr.
Network members were asked to submit collaborative proposals that addressed at least one of the areas of interest previously identified in the research agenda.
This initiative successfully supported a variety of projects, initiatives, and convenings across the State of Kansas and the Kansas City Metro region. Several mini grant awardees have presented the results of their projects at the annual Birth Equity Summit.
The Kansas Birth Equity Network Birth Equity Curriculum was first created to provide all KBEN members with foundational knowledge on the Black maternal health crisis in the United States and in the State of Kansas. The curriculum, which was co-created with parents and community members, equips our community with the readiness for solutions and education on the maternal health crisis, alongside fostering community engagement, enhancing perinatal care, and promoting respectful maternal care.
About the Course
The curriculum covers and uncovers implicit and explicit bias in maternal and paternal health. Through this curriculum, participants gain an understanding of the various factors that contribute to maternal, paternal, and infant health outcomes.
Learners from across disciplines, professions, organizations, and communities will be challenged to think critically about birth equity, bias, and how to move from denial to awareness of Black safe spaces, Black-led community initiatives, advocacy, the role of birth workers, and actions to dismantle institutional and systemic factors that prevent delivery of high-quality healthcare.
The achievement of this understanding will come from parents and their birth stories, public health field experts, community advocates, and current health data.
To request access to the Birth Equity Curriculum, please contact us via email at kben@kumc.edu
The Stop, Look, Listen, & Think Campaign was created by KBEN members to encourage respectful maternal care in healthcare and community settings.
We have created a Community Resource Booklet for Kansas families! The Community Resource Booklet highlights numerous organizations and businesses that provide support/services to families in Kansas and Missouri.
If you would like to be included in the next community resource booklet update, please complete this form.
The Birth Equity Summit formerly known as Celebrate Day 366, started as an initiative between KBEN and local Divine Nine chapters in Wichita, KS to celebrate Kansas families, the babies’ first birthday, and provide resources. It has since grown to become the Birth Equity Summit, encompassing regional stakeholders and community members!
The Birth Equity Summit, a multi-day event in collaboration with the Heartland Conference, brings together regional stakeholders. It's a key platform for sharing evidence-based research, practices and patient-centered work of parents, birth workers, and community members who are advancing birth equity in Kansas and beyond. The regional summit provides an essential space for maternal, paternal, and child health professionals to learn, collaborate, and share knowledge.
For more details on the Birth Equity Summit, please visit our events page.
Each year, we gather to have community conversations on maternal, paternal, and child health (MPCH) and celebrate families. This full week of events allows us to amplify numerous statewide efforts to improve the health of families.
At the end of the week, we gather for the main event where attendees network with local vendors, businesses, and MPCH organizations; participate in panel discussions, and fellowship with one another.
For more details, visit our events page!
The preeclampsia study is an NIH-funded study to characterize provider practices and patient experience of the clinical management of pregnancy-related hypertension and preeclampsia.
Surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians and focus group discussions were conducted with patients.
The results of the study are currently under analysis and will be published soon.
The CROWN Wellness Barbershop Initiative is a collaboration with Rev. Tony Carter, H.T. Cooperwood, Fathers United, and Dope Black Dads. This project, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute creates and sustains safe spaces for fathers to discuss paternal mental health throughout the pregnancy, birthing, and parenting process.
Currently, the leadership team hosts monthly ‘Fathers Matter 2’ conversations at H.T’s Barbershop. These listening sessions are held on the 3rd Thursday of every month.
To attend the next session, please visit our events page, and scroll to ‘Upcoming Events’.
This initiative builds upon the 2022 barbershop initiative which was started to fight misinformation about COVID-19. Recognizing that barbershops are a key community space, we worked with Rev. Tony Carter and topic experts to provide barbers with information on a variety of health topics such as COVID-19, mental health, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer. Each barbershop was also equipped with educational materials on each topic, an automatic blood pressure monitor and weight scale.
If you’d like to participate in the CROWN Wellness project, please contact us at kben@kumc.edu
As a community-centered initiative, KBEN strives to create accessible opportunities for parents, community members, and other stakeholders to participate in KBEN. The stakeholder engagement roadmap illustrates the many factors that allow KBEN members to participate in the network!
A Few Reasons to Join KBEN
- Collaborative approach
- I'm able to join from anywhere!
- Children are always welcome!
- I believe in KBEN's mission
- Shared Research Agenda
- Accessibly, Understandable, Honest Information
- Shared Values & Experiences
- Like-minded, passionate activists for change
- Safe space to share
- KBEN supports projects in my community
- Evening meetings are convenient for me!
- Birth Equity!
- I feel like I'm making a difference
- I want to help others!
- Opens doors for new opportunities
- Enables me to share information & enrich others
- Commitment to awareness, advocacy, accountability
- KBEN encourages me to grow!
In 2021, KBEN staff and members collaborated on a Birth Equity Blog Series to define birth equity, highlight parent perspectives on birth equity, and record a podcast episode on community engagement to address maternal and infant health!
Read the blog posts here!
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, KBEN members identified gaps in providing accurate information on the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women. Through funding from the Pandemic Assistance and Vaccine Equity Grant Program, KBEN members created and disseminated tailored and targeted infographics on COVID-19 Vaccination and Pregnancy.
The Kansas Birth Equity Network is currently working to develop a website to increase awareness and education on COVID-19, TDAP, and influenza vaccines for Black birthing persons and families!