OSF Saint Katharine obstetrics team hosts doula meet and greet to strengthen support for birthing fa
DIXON, Ill. | October 22, 2026 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center obstetrics team recently hosted a Doula Meet & Greet, bringing together six community doulas, obstetrics leadership, labor and delivery nurses, and lactation specialists to strengthen partnerships that support birthing women and their families.
The gathering was designed to foster relationships between hospital and community-based birth workers while creating opportunities for ongoing collaboration. Attendees shared information about their roles, expertise, and the services they provide to people throughout pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care.
The event also supports the goals of the Illinois Perinatal Health Improvement Initiative (IPHI) Improving Lactation Outcomes grant recently awarded to the organization. A key focus of the grant is building referral networks and strengthening relationships with community partners who can help improve outcomes for birthing families.
Discussions centered on identifying opportunities for partnership and improving communication between caregivers who share a common goal: providing the highest quality care while helping patients achieve their individual birth goals.
“We all have one collective goal of providing the best and safest care possible for our patients,” shared Gwen Strum BSN, RN, IBCLC, obstetrics nurse and lactation consultant. “By building relationships and understanding each other's roles, we can better support Sauk Valley families throughout their birthing journey.”
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OSF HealthCare is an integrated health system founded by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis and headquartered in Peoria, Illinois. The system includes 18 inpatient facilities encompassing 16 licensed hospitals, two of which operate dual campuses in separate communities. Among these hospitals, 10 are acute care facilities, five are critical access hospitals and one is a continuing care facility. OSF has 2,141 licensed beds throughout Illinois and Michigan and employs more than 27,000 Mission Partners across 170+ locations. These include OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, the third largest pediatric hospital in the state, and OSF OnCall, its digital health operating entity that offers hospital-at-home care. In addition, OSF operates two colleges of nursing; OSF Home Care Services, an extensive network of home health and hospice services; Pointcore, Inc., which is composed of health care-related businesses; and OSF HealthCare Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the organization. Advances in health care transformation take place through OSF Innovation as well as OSF Ventures, which provides investment capital for promising health care innovation startups. OSF HealthCare has been recognized by Fortune as one of the most innovative companies in the country and by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers for Healthcare Professionals. Learn more at osfhealthcare.org.
