Kathryn Hall

Nearly 20 years ago, Kathryn Hall was an employee of the California Department of Health Services who was troubled by the higher than normal rate of African American infant mortality in Sacramento County. Turning her anxiety into action, Kathryn and nine other women each adopted a high-risk pregnant woman as her ‘sister.’ The sisters aided the expectant mothers throughout their pregnancy. The venture was so successful that Kathryn became the founding director of The Birthing Project, a program that matches women mentors with those experiencing high-risk pregnancies to offer support. These women are companions throughout the pregnancy; some even become birth partners. Kathryn recognizes the importance of engaging fathers and youth; as a result, she established programs such as ‘The Barber Shop’, which provides employment, parenting education and social support for fathers; and ‘Saturday Morning Beauty Salon’, which teaches teens risk-reduction strategies. Kathryn also helps expand the number of physicians who are dedicated to providing care in underserved areas through her work with Cuba’s Latin American Medical School. See: www.birthingproject.com.
September 2005