Dr. Twylla Dillion, President & CEO, will lead a team of HealthConnect One subject matter experts — including National Advocacy Manager Tiwani Oseni and Research Liaison Dr. Breana Turner to BMHC26, the leading national gathering on Black maternal health.

ATLANTA, Aug. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthConnect One today announced that Dr. Twylla Dillion, President & CEO, National Advocacy Manager Tiwani Oseni and Research Liaison Dr. Breana Turner, will present at the 2026 Black Maternal Health Conference & Training Institute (BMHC26). Taking place September 10–12, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. Organized by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), BMHC26 is widely recognized as the flagship global assembly dedicated to advancing Black maternal health, rights, and justice, convening clinicians, researchers, policymakers, birth workers, and community advocates from across the country and around the world.

The conference comes amid continued attention to racial disparities in maternal health outcomes in the United States. According to the most recent data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the maternal mortality rate for Black women in 2024 was 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, more than three times the rate for white women (14.2) and significantly higher than the rates for Hispanic (12.1) and Asian (18.1) women. The CDC estimates that more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable, underscoring the importance of improved access to care, provider education, and community-based support systems.

During the conference, HealthConnect One will engage across BMHC26's programming: Dr. Dillion will meet with stakeholders to discuss potential partnership opportunities; Tiwani Oseni, National Advocacy Manager, will participate in sessions on policy and advocacy related to Black maternal health at the state and federal level; and Dr. Breana Turner, Research Liaison, will attend research- and data-focused sessions exploring the latest evidence on maternal health disparities and interventions. The visit reflects the organization's ongoing commitment to expanding access to quality maternal care, supporting research and innovation in reproductive health, and advancing health equity initiatives.

"HealthConnect One turns 40 this year, and our work has gained real momentum and visibility as the national spotlight on Black maternal health has grown, in no small part because of the attention Black Mamas Matter Alliance has brought to this crisis. We're honored to be among the presenters at BMHC26, and we're looking forward to sharing what a decade of community-based doula work has taught us, learning alongside the leaders in this room, and deepening our partnership with BMMA as we head into HC One's next 40 years." Dr. Twylla Dillion, President & CEO of HealthConnect One.

Over three days, HealthConnect One will be presenting throughout BMHC26's programming. Dr. Breana Turner, Research Liaison, will be presenting on The MENTOR Framework: Designing Culturally Grounded Doula Training to Advance Black Maternal Health and DoulaREADI: Designing Hospital Systems for Equitable Integration of Community-Based Doulas. Tiwani Oseni, National Advocacy Manager, will be presenting on Doulas Are for Every Body: Shifting Culture, Changing Behavior, and Reframing Community-Based Care. Dr. Twylla Dillion will present Rooted in Justice, Designed for Joy: Building Gold-Standard Community-Based Doula Programs. 

The visit reflects HC One's ongoing commitment to expanding access to quality maternal care, advancing research and innovation in reproductive health, and pushing health equity forward through the people already doing this work in their own communities.

About HealthConnect One 

For nearly 40 years, HealthConnect One has been a national leader in community-based doula and breastfeeding peer counselor care, working to advance birth equity for underserved families across the United States and now, internationally. HealthConnect One trains and supports community-based birth workers whose lived experience and cultural knowledge strengthen trust and outcomes for the families they serve. Learn more at healthconnectone.org. 

Media Contact:

Nina Dillion

Executive Assistant to President & CEO

HealthConnect One

Media@HealthConnectOne.org | 773-395-2623 

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SOURCE HealthConnect One