UF Health Earns Nation’s First Doula Friendly Designation

June 17, 2025 –

UF Health is the first hospital in the nation to achieve the prestigious Doula Friendly Designation, made possible through generous funding from The Children's Trust of Alachua County.

This milestone underscores UF Health's commitment to integrating doula care into perinatal health services, ensuring safe, satisfying, and dignified birth experiences for all families. 

The Doula Friendly Designation, developed by A&A Doula Consulting founders Averjill Lacey and Angela Daniel, recognizes hospitals that establish inclusive environments where doulas serving families within their communities are welcomed as integral members of the care team.

UF Health’s achievement highlights their exceptional dedication to patient-centered care and improved birth outcomes, creating a clear pathway for meaningful collaboration with doulas to enhance perinatal health. 

"We are thrilled that UF Health is leading the way nationally by earning the Doula Friendly Designation," said Averjill Lacey. "Their commitment to compassionate, holistic perinatal care serves as an inspiration for hospitals everywhere."

Co founder Angela Daniel states “As a doula that has the honor of serving families in the Gainesville community at UF Health Shands Hospital I am proud to be a part of collaborating with my local hospital leadership to see this come to fruition." 

Joanne Tanner, MSN, RNC-EFM, nurse manager, labor and delivery and antepartum at UF Health Shands Hospital said: “This designation reflects our ongoing dedication to enhancing perinatal health and ensuring families receive the highest quality care during their birth journey.”

The initiative, fully supported by The Children's Trust of Alachua County, aims to encourage systemic improvements in perinatal health care, benefiting families and healthcare providers alike.  

“We are thrilled to fund the nation’s first Doula Friendly Designation here in Alachua County,” said Marsha Kiner, Executive Director of The Children’s Trust of Alachua County. “Ensuring doulas are welcomed at hospitals and available to assist families is central to our mission. We see this initiative as an investment in and a commitment to the well-being of our community’s most valued resources – our children and their families. Healthy births and empowered parents will develop healthy and thriving babies in Alachua County. And that’s our goal.” 

For more information about the Doula Friendly Designation or to learn more about A&A Doula Consulting’s role in advancing maternal health care, please contact Averjill Lacey or Angela Daniel at hello@doulafriendly.com or Averjill Lacey at (407) 257-7958. 

ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S TRUST OF ALACHUA COUNTY 

The Children’s Trust of Alachua County funds and supports a coordinated system of community services that allows all children, youth and their families to thrive. Its funded programs and partnerships address three main goals: that all children and youth are healthy and have nurturing caregivers, can learn what they need to be successful, and live in a safe community.  

ChildrensTrustOfAlachuaCounty.us  |  @ChildrenAlachua

About A&A Doula Consulting 
A&A Doula Consulting, founded by Averjill Lacey and Angela Daniel, are the creators of the official Doula Friendly Designation, a recognition awarded to hospitals committed to integrating doulas into their maternal care teams. They envision that the health care facilities that earn the Doula Friendly Designation will ultimately have built the systems to support an evidence based standard of care that is rooted in inclusive, culturally responsive and patient centric practices DoulaFriendly.com  |  @DoulaFriendly