Lessons in Women’s Health: Impact & innovation from the emme coalition

The Community Foundation’s Fund for Women & Girls hosted a special convening on December 3, 2025 to share key findings from a recent evaluation report on the pilot program phase of the emme coalition, a Bridgeport-based health initiative launched in 2020. The pilot, a signature investment of The Fund for Women & Girls, has now completed its funding phase. Fund leaders, community partners and healthcare professionals gathered to see how this investment has transformed women’s health in Bridgeport. The event featured a moderated panel discussion and an open Q&A focused on sustaining progress and scaling impact.

emme, which stands for empowerment, mindfulness, motivation and education, is delivered in partnership with Optimus Health Care. It serves women and girls ages 12-49, empowering them to lead healthy lives and pursue their life goals through education and coaching that supported their mental, physical, social, and financial well-being. The emme pilot connected more than a thousand women and girls with quality health care and holistic tools to achieve long-term success. A hundred participants also received more intensive services through emme, including case management with community health workers and doula support.

The pilot delivered strong outcomes for participants—most notably, 100% of students graduating from high school, 100% of expectant mothers experiencing healthy full-term births, and 92% of new moms reporting greater confidence in parenting.

In an emotional tribute to program doula Jackie Carrizo, a midwife from Chile who passed away in June from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, emme Co-founder & CEO Dr. Paula Garay highlighted that these results are more than statistics. They reflect the deep commitment of community health workers, coaches and doulas who partner with the program.

“Because of Jackie’s work, her love, and her endless effort, emme was able to celebrate one of its greatest accomplishments: 100% healthy moms, and 100% healthy babies,” said Dr. Garay. “She showed up for (expecting moms) in every moment, held their hands through labor, nurtured their spirits, celebrated their victories, and gave them a sense of safety and dignity that every mother deserves…we are so thankful to Jackie for changing the lives of every mother and baby she touched.”

Findings from the pilot program will continue to guide women’s health strategy at Optimus, as the organization focuses on utilizing Obstetrics Navigators; developing an organization-wide team-based care model to support clinicians; and providing trauma-informed care training for all clinicians.

Download The EMME Evaluation Report

Learn more about the Fund for Women & Girls’ next signature investment, the Black Maternal Health Initiative.