IDA MAE PATTERSON CENTER FOR MATERNAL AND INFANT WELLNESS

The Ida Mae Patterson Center for Maternal & Infant Wellness is founded on the tenets of the Village Circle Approach™. The center offers Community-Embedded Group Prenatal Care, designed to support, protect and provide community-based clinical care to African-American childbearing persons, families, and others.

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PRENATAL CARE AT THE CENTER

Care Participants — enrolled pregnant clients— will receive care in supportive cohorts of their peers that focus on perinatal education, informed consent, community nurturance and support, all in a culturally validating environment.

The Village Circle Approach™ aims to eliminate the damaging consequences of racism in prenatal care currently demonstrated within standard medical models of care. The model focuses on clinical excellence, client autonomy, and group determination all in an environment of cultural validation and celebration.

Read about The Village Circle Approach™

 

Interested prenatal clients can contact clinic staff at idamaecenter@uzazivillage.org or call 816-541-3718

 

Care will be provided by multidisciplinary staff of:

Midwives

Doulas

Herbalists

Community Life & Wellness Coordinator

Lactation Specialists

IDA MAE PATTERSON CENTER STAFF

Read Clarisa's Bio
Read D'Lita's Bio
Read Courtney's Bio
Read Rochelle's Bio
Read James Bio
Read Shafeeqa's Bio

Application

Fill this form out if you plan to attend an orientation session to become a care participant in the Ida Mae Patterson Center for Maternal and Infant Wellness or if you would like to request an appointment at the center. * Note – We are currently only accepting participants that are 8-30 weeks pregnant.
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*Depends on the doula's availability. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to get your preferred doula*

Learn more about the Ida Mae Patterson Center for Maternal & Infant Wellness

IDA MAE CLINIC PRESS RELEASE
CLINIC INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW

4232 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64110  •  (816) 541-3718

WEBSITE CREATED BY LILLIAN JAMES CREATIVE

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TERMS & CONDITIONS

The Village Circle Approach™

The Ida Mae Patterson Center for Maternal and Infant Wellness is a Perinatal Safe Spot and a Black Sacred Space for prenatal care. The Ida Mae Clinic utilizes the Village Circle Approach™  

Description:

The Village Circle Approach™ is an Afro-Centric Group Prenatal Care Model designed to support, protect and provide community-based clinical care to childbearing persons and families of the African diaspora, The model allows for a group prenatal care concept in which pregnant persons move though care in support cohorts of their peers that focus on perinatal education informed consent, community nurturance and support, excellence in clinical care, all in a culturally validating environment.  This is the chosen care approach for the Ida Mae Patterson Center for Maternal and Infant Wellness (Ida Mae Clinic) at Uzazi Village in Kansas City, MO. 

Purpose:

The purpose of this approach to care is to eliminate racially-embedded health disparities in prenatal care currently demonstrated within standard medical models of care.  This approach focuses on clinical excellence, client autonomy, and group determination all in an environment of cultural validation and celebration.  African-Americans bear the brunt of negative health consequences in a white-supremist, oppressive and punitive healthcare system that fails to recognize the humanity and value of African-American persons.  The current system of healthcare cannot meet the complex needs of childbearing persons of the Black diaspora and cannot solve the problem of health inequity in its current state. It is therefore incumbent upon those who understand the problem in all its nuances to offer viable solutions.  The Village Circle Approach™ is designed to bridge the care/outcome gap with care that recognizes and honors the humanity of persons of the African diaspora.

Features:

Features of this model will include aspects of care in a healthcare setting that are Afro-Centric by nature and celebrate Black ‘Ways of Being.’ These features include:

  • Group education
  • Relational interaction with care partners
  • Equalized (rather than hierarchical) power structures
  • Shared decision-making and informed consent or non-consent
  • Culturally congruent staffing
  • Celebration of Black peoples and Black culture

Clarisa Evans is a highly dedicated Senior Student Midwife working at the renowned Ida Mae Patterson Center for Maternal and Infant Wellness. She’s been involved in various local midwifery practices, offering her expertise and support. Clarisa’s prior experiences as a full spectrum Doula, a patient care specialist, and a childbirth educator have armed her with the skills and knowledge to emphasize the importance of ongoing midwifery care. She’s a firm believer that this critical care can lead to better birth experiences and can make the journey to becoming a parent much smoother.

In addition to her professional commitments, Clarisa is a vehement defender of black maternal health and infant mortality issues in the United States. She’s taken it upon herself to shed light on this significant matter, dedicating her time and energy to educate her community about the different choices they have during pregnancy, within or beyond a hospital environment.

Away from her impactful work, Clarisa is a devoted wife and a mother to three children. She greatly enjoys the tranquility offered by the great outdoors, often spending quality time with her family in nature’s embrace.

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D’Lita “Dee” Parker, APRN WHNP-BC, is not just a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner at the Ida Mae Patterson Center, but a professional with an impressive decade of experience in her field. Recently, her career journey has taken her to the doors of Uzazi Village, where she’s been offering her expertise for the past three months.
Beyond her profession, Dee is a genuine person who greatly values her roles as a mother and a healthcare provider. Her commitment towards her job is evident in the compassionate care she provides to women. In her leisure time, Dee is an adventurer at heart, often found exploring uncharted territories on international trips. Additionally, she relishes spending quality time with her loved ones, indicating her strong family values.
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Courtney Pauley, a registered nurse at Ida Mae Center, has a deep passion for women’s services. She noticed a significant gap in the services provided to breastfeeding mothers, which ignited her determination to learn more. This led her to Uzazi Village’s lactation internship, where she was mentored by Melissa Jackson RN IBCLC, a respected professional in the field. Through unwavering dedication and commitment, Courtney earned the prestigious IBCLC certification, which greatly enhanced her ability to provide high-quality support.
What fuels Courtney’s drive is her heartfelt desire to restore and disseminate essential ancestral breastfeeding knowledge, particularly in the underserved communities of the KC metro area. She believes that this overlooked knowledge, especially relevant to black and brown families, is a vital resource that needs to be revitalized and shared widely. Courtney’s mission is to address the systemic neglect of this knowledge that spans a century, and passionately strives to bring it back into circulation.
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Rochelle Evans, formerly the Administrative Doula at Ida Mae Patterson Center, now serves passionately as a Village Doula. Her mission is to unlock the divine potential and healing within everyone, particularly People of Culture, enabling them to live empowered lives, free from constraints. Her family, including her husband Morrell, their son, Morrell II, and beloved pets, Demo and Mekka, fuel her dedication.
Rochelle’s calling to birth work began in childhood, caring for her siblings and supporting friends through the transformative journey of pregnancy, birth, and loss. The realization of her role came upon her own pregnancy, leading to a deeper understanding of the disparities faced during childbirth.
Embracing her thirst for knowledge, Rochelle found Uzazi’s program during her 2017 pregnancy and enrolled in 2020, juggling a demanding 50-hour work week. A layoff during training was seen not as a setback, but an opportunity, leading to her full-time role as a Village Doula.
Rochelle encourages you to see your reflection in the care she provides. She is committed to empowering your family towards the birth and postpartum experience you deserve. She views each birth as sacred, each journey unique as a baby’s fingerprint, and considers it a privilege to serve families in such a special time.
Rochelle is a Certified Full Spectrum Doula, Community Health Worker, Hypnobabies Certified Hypno Doula, and Reiki Master. She is currently working towards Prenatal Yoga and Cannabis Doula Certifications. In her downtime, she explores photography, new restaurants, cooking, travel, and cherishes time with her family and friends.
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James, a native of Detroit, Michigan, comes from a large family of twelve siblings. His early exposure to a bustling household environment, along with being an uncle to over 20 nieces and nephews, naturally steered him towards a career in birth education. James is a trained birth doula, having completed his training through the National Black Doulas Association. His journey into birth education became deeply personal and a clear calling during his wife
challenging pregnancy with their son, which involved complications like oligohydramnios and preeclampsia. The situation highlighted the critical importance of adequate prenatal education and preparation for unexpected challenges. Motivated by his experiences, James founded the nonprofit organization Fathers Assisting Mothers. His mission through this initiative is to educate and empower expectant fathers, equipping them to provide essential support to the mothers in their lives during this pivotal time.

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As Uzazi’s Community Life Wellness Coordinator, Shafeeqa Small is able to introduce essential foods and alternatives, fostering a love for food through hands-on cooking demos, tastings, and food preparation advice. For two decades, Shafeeqa has developed methods to enhance food relationships, serving not only as a Holistic Facilitator but also as a chef, earth mother, beekeeper, and food advocate and educator.
The power of food to nurture and heal was evident in Mama Hakima’s dedication to Uzazi Village and its unique focus on nutrition. Recognizing the need for a nutrition-centric role, Mama Hakima and Shafeeqa both realized that solely relying on licensed nutritionists could dismiss the significant importance of our traditional food practices, heritage, and a non-judgmental perspective towards healthy food relationships, the essence of our village.
At Uzazi, Shafeeqa offers mothers and families more than just meals; she presents food as a cognitive stimulant, address food insecurity, and challenge societal stereotypes. The mission is to reinforce the restorative, life-sustaining power of food, beyond mere nutrition. Uzazi Village, for Shafeeqa, is not merely a place; it’s a nurturing sanctuary where she’s prospered and continue to serve passionately.
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