About OKBEI
OKBEI works tirelessly to equip families to have healthy births with dignity and reduce health challenges among expecting parents—so that all of Oklahoma can grow together.
Since 2019, the Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative (OKBEI) has worked closely with local community partners in a collaborative effort to explore and implement evidence-based strategies that address clear gaps in how we address maternal conception, pregnancy, mortality, and morbidity in our community.
We Include and Support All Kinds of Families
We focus our efforts wherever the need to improve wellness outcomes in Oklahoma is greatest—ensuring that everyone is seen and heard with compassion and care, so we can create better health experiences for Oklahoma parents and children.
We’re Giving a Voice to the Need — and Finding Solutions
Data shows that Black, Native, Latine, teen, and justice-involved women are much more likely to experience obstacles to quality health care before, during, and after pregnancy. They are also more likely to face economic hurdles and have chronic health conditions that affect their conception, pregnancies, and births.
At OKBEI, we are changing this trend for the better. We’re creating a variety of local, community-focused programs and strategies to create healthy and joyous outcomes for all parents and babies in Oklahoma.
Why We Do What We Do
Stress, healthcare challenges, and lack of communal support contribute greatly to these pregnancy outcomes, regardless of the woman’s socioeconomic, educational, or health status.
In Oklahoma, Black women are 3x and Native American & Alaska Native women are 2.5x more likely to die from pregnancy- and birth-related causes.
About 3 in 5 of these tragic deaths are preventable—especially when consistent community support, education, and attentive medical care are offered to all.
Mission
The Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative equips families to have healthy births with dignity and reduce maternal health disparities—creating a healthier, more equitable Oklahoma for all.
Vision
At Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative, we envision an Oklahoma in which all people are centered and respected before, during, and after pregnancy.
Discover the Difference We’re Making
Funding Transparency
