Training community health workers to support postpartum BIPOC women
Official title: Effective Newborn Community-Outreach Recovery Engagement (ENCORE) - a culturally appropriate professional development course for community health workers
Funded at Kdh Research and Communication, INC. · NIH-10821673 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is creating a friendly online training program for community health workers to help support postpartum Black, Indigenous, and People of Color women after they finish receiving care from doulas and midwives, making sure they get the health information and support they need during this important time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 1 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Kdh Research and Communication, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $297,083 |
| NIH project number | 1R43MD019206-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10821673 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are postpartum BIPOC women who have recently stopped receiving care from birth workers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not postpartum or who do not identify as BIPOC may not receive benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a training program for community health workers (CHWs) to assist postpartum Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) women. The program, called ENCORE, aims to fill the care gap that often occurs after these women stop receiving support from doulas and midwives. By leveraging the established connections CHWs have within their communities, the program will educate and empower these workers to provide essential health information and support to postpartum mothers, helping them navigate healthcare barriers and improve their overall well-being. The training will be delivered through an online platform, making it accessible and adaptable to various community needs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve the postpartum care and health outcomes for BIPOC women.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that community health worker outreach can effectively improve health outcomes in underserved populations, indicating a promising approach for this initiative.
Where this research is happening
-
Kdh Research and Communication, INC.
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cooper, Dexter L — Kdh Research and Communication, INC.
- Study coordinator: Cooper, Dexter L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Adaptive e-learning and smartphones to improve newborn and child care in Tanzania
A new program uses smart devices and tailored online learning to help frontline health workers in Mwanza, Tanzania provide better care for newborns and young children.
-
NoviGuide for Newborn Care in Pakistan
A small NIH grant to test a pocket-sized decision support tool for nurses and doctors to improve newborn care in Pakistan.
-
Newborn screening: using gene and metabolite data to refine true vs false positives
A study using genetic and metabolomic data from newborn blood spots to better distinguish real metabolic disorders from false alarms.
-
Evidence-based practices for managing neonatal hypothermia in newborn nurseries
A doctor-led project will study how common newborn hypothermia affects babies in US nurseries and develop trusted guidelines to improve care.
-
Agricultural livelihoods to improve health for pregnant women with HIV in Kenya
A pregnancy-starting program in Kenya tests whether helping families grow food and earn income can improve the health and nutrition of mothers and their babies, especially for women living with HIV.
-
Agricultural livelihood support for pregnant women and newborns in Kenya
Compares agricultural livelihood support to usual care to help pregnant women in Kenya—including those living with HIV—have better nutrition and healthier newborns.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.