Every Mother and Child Deserves a Healthy Start
Maternal Health Haven is building a new model of compassionate, medically supervised care for moms and their babies without a stable home.
Our Mission & Vision
A strong early bond lays the foundation for children to grow into happy, resilient, independent adults. When pregnant and postpartum women have access to safe housing and quality health care, their babies can thrive. But for women without stable housing, reliable transportation, or financial and social support, that care is often out of reach. Our unique model aims to change that.
Under the visionary leadership of Roseanna Means, MD, we are creating safe, community-based care centers that support mothers from pregnancy through their baby’s first year, closing alarming health disparities faced by women experiencing homelessness. At the same time, our approach reduces avoidable emergency visits, costly hospital stays, and an unsustainable strain on the health care system. The result? Healthier mothers, healthier babies, and stronger communities.
Who benefits from our new model of care?
Mothers and Babies
Increased access to medically supervised care from pregnancy through baby’s first year.
Reduced risk of complications and improved long-term maternal health outcomes.
Stronger start for mom and child by having emotional support and parenting resources.
Hospitals and Insurers
Fewer emergency visits and avoidable lengthy hospital stays.
Lower costs through preventive and coordinated care.
Smoother discharge planning and improved continuity of care.
Communities
Increased partnership opportunities with local nonprofits, faith-based groups, and social service agencies.
Stronger neighborhood networks connecting families to resources and trusted support.
Mimi’s House: A First-of-Its-Kind Maternal Respite Center
Safe, compassionate, and transformative care for high-risk pregnant and postpartum women and their children in Boston, Massachusetts.
We’re working to create our first community-based maternal respite center—Mimi’s House—named to honor the spirit of beloved grandmothers everywhere who nurture, protect, and guide their families.
A diverse team of physicians, midwives, doulas, social workers, and other professionals will deliver essential medical care on site with an added focus on connecting moms to much needed resources such as housing, transportation, and educational and employment opportunities.
For more than forty years, Dr. Roseanna Means has dedicated her career to meeting the needs of women with complex medical issues who are experiencing housing insecurity. Dr. Means has built nationally recognized programs such as Health Care Without Walls and the Bridges to Moms program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, proving that comprehensive, community-based care can transform lives. Today, she brings that experience, vision, and track record to Maternal Health Haven and Mimi’s House, turning decades of frontline work into a groundbreaking new model for maternal health.
Dr. Means has assembled an expert advisory team of leaders in maternal health policy and practice, medicine, government, philanthropy, and community advocacy to help guide this groundbreaking work. Their collective expertise will help strengthen our vision and ensure that the work is scalable and remains at the forefront of innovation.
Leading Maternal Health Haven: Roseanna Means, MD
“Health encompasses more than what takes place in the clinic or hospital. Understanding and addressing the context, challenges, and concerns our patients face can change their whole health trajectory. Maternal health care is poised for change—so let’s do this! The lives of our children depend on it.”
— Dr. Roseanna Means