HOPE was proud to be featured at the 2025 Student National Medical Association (SNMA) Annual Medical Education Conference (AMEC), themed “Higher: Surpassing, Optimizing, Advancing, and Reimagining Our Purpose.” Our incredible HOPE team medical student Donessa Jenae Colley presented her research poster, “Barriers and Strategies for Effective Integration of Doulas into Hospitals,” which drew on qualitative interviews with HOPE doulas to identify key challenges and opportunities for improving doula–hospital collaboration. The poster highlighted gaps in staff understanding of the doula role, communication barriers, and inconsistent integration into care teams, along with strategies such as staff education, relationship-building, and clearer pathways for collaboration. By sharing HOPE’s community-based insights at a national forum dedicated to the next generation of physicians, this presentation helped elevate the role of doulas as essential partners in advancing equitable, patient-centered maternity care.

Learn more about SNMA AMEC 2025 → by clicking here