Universal City-based maternal health care company MCH Ventures Inc., which does business as Mahmee, has launched its first partnership with a local hospital to provide its wraparound maternal and parent services when patients leave the hospital.
Mahmee last month entered into a partnership with Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica to expand lactation care, improve the postpartum experience and provide support for new parents when they leave the hospital.
“Our partnership with Providence Saint John’s aims to alleviate the difficulties that new mothers and families face after birth,” Linda Hanna, one of Mahmee’s co-founders and director of care programs, said in the announcement.
“As veteran maternal health care practitioners, we know how to make this transition as smooth and nurturing as possible,” Hanna said.
While financial terms were not disclosed, a spokeswoman for Mahmee said Providence St. John’s is paying a fee to Mahmee over the course of the three-year deal.
It is the first partnership with a local hospital for Mahmee, though the company had had partnerships for two years with two Washington D.C.-area hospitals. The company also has partnerships with several standalone pediatric centers, mostly in Los Angeles County.
“At a time when many hospitals are grappling with resource constraints and scaling back on maternal health support, our joint effort is setting a bold example of commitment to maternity care,” Amanda Williams, Mahmee’s medical director, said.
Mahmee was launched in 2014 by the mother-daughter duo of Linda and Melissa Hanna. Linda Hanna was a registered nurse and lactation consultant who helped create the modern maternity and lactation programs at both Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente and Beverly Grove-based Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Melissa Hanna had gained experience running business operations through her work with several startups.
The duo teamed up to create Mahmee along with Sunny Walia, who serves as chief technology officer.
The platform first focused on breastfeeding questions and post-partum support for new moms. It has since evolved to include a more complete suite of maternal health programs, including the use of doulas, trained professionals who provide support during childbirth.
The aim, according to co-founder Melissa Hanna, is to make the entire childbirth and infant-rearing experience safer for the infant and the mother.