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Some are caregivers, friends and community members. Others are doulas and doctors who help before, during and after birth. And some work quietly behind the scenes to make sure families can access and afford the care they need.
One of those allies is Reproductive & Maternal Health Compass (RMH Compass), a W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) grantee that works with employers to improve reproductive, maternal and parental health support for their workforce. That includes expanding coverage for doula, midwifery and birthing center care — giving families more choices and greater access to support during pregnancy and childbirth.
Improving health by supporting employers
Most people in the U.S. get health insurance through their workplace, not through the government. That means employers have a lot of say over what care families receive — such as the type and duration of coverage — including during pregnancy and childbirth.
That also means employers have an opportunity to offer benefits that can improve the health and well-being of their employees and their families. RMH Compass helps employers understand what their health plans already cover, identify gaps and find opportunities to strengthen their benefits.
“Our team operates as benefits detectives,” said Flory Wilson, founder and CEO of RMH Compass. “We surface low- and no-cost changes employers can make, which is particularly appreciated at a time when many companies feel resource-constrained amid economic uncertainty.”
Those changes, if specifically requested by a company, can include lactation support, doula care or expanded mental health screenings.
Working together to help employees
While RMH Compass mostly works with middle-market companies with 50 to 15,000 employees, some of their partners have included Levi Strauss & Co. and Amalgamated Bank.
“Through our performance standard, we evaluate the full reproductive health cycle for women and working parents — from family formation to pregnancy prevention and from pre- and post-natal care through menopause,” Wilson said.
RMH Compass also measures affordability, since even a well-designed plan can be out of reach for lower-paid workers. After identifying opportunities, the next critical step is helping employers implement improvements.
This direct and collaborative approach is having an impact. In 2025 alone, more than 40,000 workers had access to improved or newly uncovered benefits as a result of their employers’ partnership with RMH Compass.
Finding opportunities through partnership
“We are an ally to employers who care deeply about the health of their workforce,” Wilson said. “We aim to educate and inspire them to close gaps in care and find all the hidden gems that help employees stay healthy and thrive.” Those benefits “gems” can be particularly meaningful to partners like the jewelry company Mejuri.
“It’s very important to us that we build a really supportive work environment for our team,” said Danielle Colby, senior manager on Mejuri’s people team. “It’s a founding aspect of the company and a core part of how we operate.”
RMH Compass began working with Canada-based Mejuri when the company was in a growth phase, providing benefits benchmarking and offering unique insights as its U.S. workforce was rapidly expanding.
“Accessing healthcare in the U.S. can be very challenging,” Colby said. “But if you review your plan documentation and workplace policies with a fine-tooth comb, you can make strong benefits programs even stronger.”
And those refined benefits programs create a strong foundation for employees who can then climb even higher.
“When your basic needs are taken care of, you can start thinking about how to fulfill yourself and do great work and achieve great things,” Colby said. “Comprehensive, well-structured benefits programs support our team, and it’s rewarding for HR people to know that what we do matters for our people.”
The road ahead
Stories like Mejuri’s show what can happen when employers find partners to help them navigate the healthcare system and their own workplace policies. These connections and collaborations ultimately help workforces and families thrive.
As more companies put these changes into practice, the impact grows beyond any one team and becomes a model other employers can follow.
“Together we can solve the reproductive, maternal and parental health crisis in the U.S.,” Wilson said. “The solutions have been identified, and we are filling a void by bringing employers into that conversation and harnessing their power to address the problem. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s good for business.”
For families, that kind of partnership can mean one more ally they never meet, but whose work quietly ensures they get the care they need.
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