Contracted In-Person Labor Doula
California, USA
Posted 6+ months ago
Mahmee’s mission is to make the United States the best place in the world to give birth by providing wraparound pregnancy and postpartum care. Contractor is engaged to promote health equity, empower patients, optimize patient safety, and provide consistent, high-quality in-person and virtual doula support before, during, and after childbirth.
Contractor will function as a member of an integrated care team. From the patient’s perspective, Mahmee is their doula. The team supporting each patient may include employed (W2) and contracted doulas working together. Each patient is assigned a primary doula and backup support by Mahmee. All appointment scheduling, billing, and coordination of care happen inside the Mahmee platform. Contractor agrees to operate within this team model and to maintain a seamless, consistent experience for patients regardless of whether the patient is aware of Contractor’s independent contractor status.
Required Qualifications
- Current, full-spectrum doula training certificate from a recognized organization (DONA International, CAPPA, or equivalent), to be maintained throughout the Agreement term.
- Demonstrable experience in: prenatal and postpartum education; in-person and/or virtual labor support; newborn and infant care; breastfeeding/chestfeeding support; and health equity and cultural humility practice.
- Technology proficiency: digital communication tools (messaging, email, video conferencing); electronic health record systems or equivalent care management platforms.
Scope of Services
- Provide continuous, comprehensive bedside doula support during labor and delivery. In-person birth attendance is a core responsibility under this Agreement. If Contractor is unable to attend an assigned birth for any reason, Contractor must notify the Company promptly and work closely with the Mahmee care team to facilitate appropriate backup support for the patient. Repeated failure to attend assigned births without arranging backup coverage may result in suspension of future assignments and, if the pattern continues, termination of this Agreement.
- Coordinate with the Mahmee virtual doula team for backup support as needed.
- Conclude in-person labor support approximately one to two (1–2) hours following delivery, or as clinically appropriate and as directed.
- Provide psychosocial support and anticipatory guidance during prenatal and postpartum appointments. Appointments may be conducted in person or virtually based on patient preference and clinical appropriateness, as scheduled by the Company’s care coordinators.
- Services include, without limitation: creating birth plans; preparing patients for medical office visits; educating on common labor and delivery practices; planning for postpartum support at home; and facilitating birth story debriefs.
- All patient communication must occur through the Mahmee Platform, which supports messaging, phone calls, and video appointments. Any patient communication that occurs outside the platform for any reason must be fully documented in the platform as soon as practicable.
- Engage proactively and professionally with patients in a manner that promotes trust, inclusion, respect, and empathy.
- Respond to patient messages within the timeframe specified in the then-current platform protocol (default: within four (4) business hours during Contractor’s declared availability window).
- Contractor is responsible for responding to patient scheduling and rescheduling requests in a timely manner. While the Mahmee care team may assist with scheduling logistics to support a seamless patient experience, it is not Mahmee’s responsibility to schedule or reschedule patients on Contractor’s behalf.
- Use the escalation tools available through the Mahmee Platform to flag clinical concerns. Escalation to Mahmee’s clinical team is the primary escalation pathway and should be used promptly upon identification of any patient safety or clinical concern.
- Where clinically appropriate, Contractor shall advise and encourage the patient to communicate concerns directly to their obstetrician, midwife, or primary care provider. Contractor is not required to contact the patient’s medical providers directly but shall ensure that relevant concerns are communicated to Mahmee’s clinical team without delay.
- Coordinate with other Mahmee care team members, including but not limited to nurses, lactation consultants, care coordinators, mental health coaches, and nutrition coaches, to ensure continuity of care.
- Document all patient encounters in the Mahmee Platform as soon as practicable following each encounter, with same-day documentation strongly encouraged. Documentation must be completed no later than twenty-four (24) hours after the encounter.
- Adhere to the Company’s then-current platform protocols governing provider-driven appointment cancellations and rescheduling. Limits on provider-initiated cancellations and rescheduling are defined by those protocols, which may be updated by the Company upon notice to Contractor.
Services shall include, but are not limited to, the following as assigned by the Company through the Mahmee Platform:
In-Person Birth Attendance
Prenatal and Postpartum Appointments
Patient Communication
Escalation
Care Coordination
Platform Protocols and Availability
- Contractor shall declare and maintain availability windows in the Mahmee Platform as a condition of receiving assignment to patients and appointments.
- Contractor shall use the Mahmee Platform for all scheduling, documentation, messaging, and reporting related to Services performed under this Agreement.
- Contractor shall not circumvent platform-assigned workflows, accept Mahmee patient assignments outside the platform, or alter platform records in any unauthorized manner.
- Contractor shall complete the Company’s required onboarding and platform training prior to performing any Services. The training stipend, if any, is set forth in Exhibit B.
Professional Responsibilities
- Comply with all applicable federal and state law, including HIPAA, the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, and all professional certification requirements.
- Comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and all implementing regulations; provide or request language assistance services for patients with limited English proficiency.
- Refrain from the unauthorized practice of medicine or any other licensed profession. Doula services do not include clinical diagnosis, prescription, or any act that constitutes the practice of medicine, nursing, or midwifery.
Mahmee’s Commitment as an Equal Opportunity Employer
Mahmee values diverse experiences. If you have important skills that we haven't listed here, please don’t hesitate to apply and tell us more about your unique expertise. Just like we fight for equitable access to healthcare, we also stand for equitable access to career opportunity. Inclusive hiring is incredibly important to our organization, and we welcome individuals of all cultural backgrounds and experiences to apply to our open positions. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities.