08/06/2025
Our first Spotlight features Aliyah Seenauth, a PopFam MPH student in the Sexuality, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SSRH) Certificate. For her summer APEx, Aliyah is working as a Clinical and Community Partnerships Intern with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) within the Center for Health Equity and Community Wellness (CHECW), as part of the HRTP Internship Program. Her work is primarily focused on supporting the Citywide Doula Initiative, a program designed to expand access to free, culturally responsive doula care for birthing people throughout New York City.
As part of her role, Aliyah assists in the coordination of technical assistance meetings and Grand Rounds with NYC hospitals to build clinical support for doulas, helps manage administrative and invoicing processes for community-based doula vendors, and contributes to referral triage efforts to ensure smooth coordination between hospitals and doula organizations. She also will play a central role in communication efforts by developing and distributing a monthly newsletter for participating hospitals, which highlights program updates and encourages continued staff engagement. Aliyah is further supporting the initiative by conducting literature reviews, developing educational materials, and tracking hospital progress using an implementation dashboard.
Aliyah is particularly excited to apply her interests in maternal health and health policy to support an initiative that centers birthing people’s autonomy and experiences. As her APEx continues, she looks forward to deepening her understanding of equity-based work in large public health systems and using the skills she’s gained at Mailman to support community-driven approaches to care!
