About Us

We provide Black parents-to-be with information on how Cincinnati hospitals are working to improve care for mamas and babies before, during, and after birth.

Because Every Mama Deserves the Best Care

WHAT WE DO

Improving Care for Black Moms

We work with hospitals to improve care for Black moms and babies by collecting data and assessing their efforts. Through scoring, badges, and yearly certifications, we help hospitals stay accountable to their commitments. Then, we share this information so Black mamas can make informed choices about where to give birth.

OUR APPROACH

Advance Equity by Learning Together

We bring together community members, organizations, and hospitals to learn as a team. By learning together and aligning our efforts, we push for big changes that improve care for Black moms and babies. Our model ensures that both community voices and hospital leaders are part of the solution.

How Mama Certified Works

Hospital Participation

Frequently Asked Questions

To earn Mama Certified membership, hospitals must:
- Commit publicly to improving care for Black moms and babies.
- Share their data with Mama Certified and create a plan for better maternal care.
- Promote Mama Certified in their hospital and online.
- Train staff on racial equity and respectful maternal care.
- Partner with Queens Village to design hospital programs that center Black moms’ experiences.
Hospitals must be Mama Certified members to apply for certification.
They then:
- Submit data and equity plans annually.
- Earn points based on their commitment to transparency and best practices.
- Receive badges that show their progress.
- Have their reports published on the Mama Certified website for families to see.
- Renew membership and certification every year.
We work to include as many birthing hospitals as possible, but some may not yet participate or may be outside our focus area. If your hospital isn’t listed, it doesn’t mean they aren’t working toward better care!
Mama Certified works with The Health Collaborative to collect, analyze, and report information from member hospitals.
Mama Certified collaborates with hospital partners and the Queens Village Advisory Board to identify the most impactful, achievable, and relevant metrics for our annual survey. These metrics ensure hospitals are held accountable for improving care for moms and babies.
Hospitals earn points for:
- Sharing Key Data – Reporting birth-related stats like C-section rates and social needs screenings.
- Implementing Best Practices – Adopting proven policies like Safe Sleep programs or addressing maternal health disparities.
Each hospital’s final score is converted to a percentage, determining its certification badge for each focus area.
- Hospitals are awarded badges based on their total score in three categories: Maternal Care, Infant Care, and Community Care.
- Ally Badge (50%+) – Recognizes hospitals taking the first steps toward equity.
- Advocate Badge (70%+) – Highlights hospitals making meaningful progress
- Leader Badge (90%+) – Honors hospitals leading the way in maternal and infant care equity.
- The Maternal Care Badge highlights how hospitals are working to reduce maternal health disparities and improve patient outcomes. By earning the Mama Certified Maternal Care Badge, hospitals show a commitment to transparency, accountability, and action—working toward ensuring that every mama receives the safe, equitable, and compassionate care they deserve.
- The Infant Care Badge highlights how hospitals are working to provide the best care to newborns. By earning the Mama Certified Infant Care Badge, hospitals show a commitment to transparency, accountability, and action—working toward ensuring that every baby receives the safe, equitable, and compassionate care they deserve.
- The Community Care Badge highlights how hospitals partner with community organizations to address social drivers of health. By earning the Mama Certified Community Care Badge, hospitals show a commitment to transparency, accountability, and action—working toward ensuring that every family receives the support and resources they need to thrive.

Getting Involved

If you’ve given birth in the past year, we want to hear from you! Visit the Mama Certified Share Your Feedback page to share your experience anonymously. Your feedback helps us push for better, more respectful maternity care for Black women in Cincinnati.
To request a Mama Certified presentation, event tabling, or educational materials for your organization, please complete the request form.

Our Partners

Mama Certified brings together birthing hospitals in Greater Cincinnati to address maternal equity and improve outcomes for Black mothers and babies in their care. Partner organizations involved in co-creation include:

Support for Mama Certified is provided in part by CareSource
The Queens Village Advisory Board provides strategy, input and feedback on every aspect of the Mama Certified initiative, ensuring that Black moms are at the center of all we do.
A $500,000 bi3 Fund grant to Health Collaborative of Cincinnati and Cradle Cincinnati fueled the creation of Mama Certified.
Cradle Cincinnati is a network of partners working across sectors to measurably improve preconception health, pregnancy health and infant health in order to reduce preterm birth and infant mortality in Hamilton County. Their vision is that every child born in Hamilton County lives to see their first birthday.
The Health Collaborative is a data-driven non-profit organization in Cincinnati, Ohio. They bring together healthcare stakeholders in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky for the good of the community and provide them with the actionable data they need for healthier people, better care and lower costs.
Support for Mama Certified is provided in part by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation