September 2019

For roughly 40 years, Patti Ramos was a doula, assisting with more than 3,000 births. Now, Ramos has something new to consume her. There’s no paycheck involved this time — the 66-year-old gets by on Social Security income — but the hours are still long and the connections are still intimate. Today, Ramos, 66 and retired, considers herself a “street doula.” That’s because Ramos is the one-woman force behind the Homeless Humans of Tacoma project . For the last four years, she has spent her...

Homeless Humans of Tacoma is a humanitarian mission founded by Patti Ramos, Tacoma resident, birth doula and freelance documentary photographer. Patti writes: "One of the most impactful experiences in my life is this humanitarian street outreach I was inspired to create in February of 2016. The enlightening conversations and encounters I have shared with folks who are experiencing homelessness in Tacoma/Olympia and throughout my travels in California, Arizona, Texas, New Orleans and Grays...

By Carol Cruzan Morton, August 16, 2019, The Bulletin Health care providers struggle to provide high-quality care in communities with fewer births overall Itzel Wiewel was determined to control the circumstances of her second child’s delivery. Her first daughter’s birth at an out of state hospital was fraught with complications, evoking fear and helplessness. Her daughter spent a week in neonatal intensive care. Wiewel had a different vision for her next birthing experience. As her due date...