When Rev. Dr. Que English speaks, it looks like a name to reimagine group. A name to rebuild belief. A name to save lots of lives.
The founder and CEO of Elev8 Well being Inc. is main the 2025 Nationwide Thrive Maternal Well being Tour, a 20-city initiative reworking how we deal with maternal well being in Black and Indigenous communities. At a time when america has the highest maternal mortality fee amongst developed nations—and Black ladies are 3 times extra prone to die from pregnancy-related problems than white ladies, in accordance with the CDC—Dr. English is sounding the alarm and providing a blueprint.
“Once you consider the village, you consider what it’s going to take to enhance our outcomes amongst Black ladies,” she instructed MadameNoire in an unique interview. “That village must be doulas, midwives, psychological well being care specialists, OBGYNs, WIC packages, Wholesome Begin packages, even housing assist.”
The Thrive Tour is each a motion and a reawakening of communal care. Every cease features a group child bathe and an ecosystem of assist that meets expectant moms, fathers, and caregivers the place they’re—bodily, emotionally, and spiritually. Occasions embody expert-led panels, useful resource sharing, on-site screenings, and wellness checks, all structured to empower households and elevate outcomes.
“Suicide and substance use dysfunction are the main causes of demise for ladies postpartum,” Dr. English defined. “We now have to have psychological well being suppliers in that village, as a result of that’s part of the answer, too.”
Rooted in cultural competence
Dr. English, a Bronx native with Harlem roots, brings grassroots knowledge to each coverage desk she sits at. Earlier than founding Elev8 Well being, she served because the Director of the Heart for Religion-Primarily based and Neighborhood Partnerships on the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies. She’s additionally the founding father of the 100 Million Attain Collective, a coalition of African American religion leaders dedicated to addressing the social determinants of well being in underserved communities.
Nonetheless, she makes it clear: “I’m grassroots. Sure, I labored for Well being and Human Companies. Sure, I used to be prime of the meals chain. However every thing I do is community-driven.”
That community-first method is why cultural competency is a pillar of the Thrive Tour. Throughout her prior M.O.M.S. Tour, she helped certify almost 600 culturally competent Black doulas. That basis is being expanded by Thrive.
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“Once I take into consideration bringing our doulas to the forefront to interact with Black ladies, they’re Black doulas,” she stated. “As a result of we understood that if we’re going to break the stigma and construct belief, they need to seem like us.”
Using doulas and midwives is a method backed by proof. Research present doulas and midwifery providers enhance maternal well being outcomes—decreasing C-section charges, rising breastfeeding success, and lowering maternal mortality threat. Nevertheless, many households nonetheless see start staff as a luxurious.
Dr. English is working to alter that mindset.
“We don’t have to deal with doulas like a bonus. For me, they need to be the baseline,” she added. “Each mom deserves assist, not simply those who can afford it.”
Moreover, “There are numerous states which have expanded Medicaid protection to cowl the price of doulas,” she emphasised. “It’s a lifeline. It’s not a luxurious. It’s a necessity.”