Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherress Hicks
Hi Sherress, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey has been deeply rooted in healthcare and driven by a passion for improving maternal and fetal health outcomes. I’ve spent over 20 years working in healthcare as a behavioral health counselor and healthcare manager, which gave me firsthand insight into the challenges and disparities many families face when navigating the healthcare system. Along the way, I became a survivor of ovarian cancer—a life-altering experience that led me to study Chinese medicine as part of my journey to heal and restore my reproductive health. This experience ignited a personal and professional commitment to advocating for maternal-fetal health.
As a former professor of healthcare administration, I combined my academic and professional knowledge to found the Maternal Fetal Health Alliance, a nonprofit with a mission to eradicate racial disparities in maternal health outcomes and provide financial assistance to birthing individuals and families who want the support of a doula. Building on this work, I launched MaternaCare, an innovative platform designed to improve maternal-fetal health outcomes through data-driven solutions and targeted interventions. My current focus is executing a 10-state initiative aimed at addressing disparities and creating systemic change in maternal health.
Every step of my career, personal journey, and advocacy work has led me to this point, where my assignment is clear: to improve maternal-fetal health outcomes and create equitable care for all families.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but the challenges I’ve faced have shaped my determination and focus. One of the biggest struggles has been finding the right support to move my initiatives from vision to execution. While the need for change in maternal-fetal health is widely recognized, turning ideas into actionable, impactful solutions requires collaboration, resources, and a shared commitment, which can be difficult to secure.
Another challenge has been navigating debates with healthcare administrators about what the system truly needs to improve. I advocate for an unbiased, multidisciplinary, agile-thinking approach that centers on value for patients and families—ideas that sometimes clash with traditional perspectives and entrenched systems. Funding has also been a persistent challenge, both for the nonprofit and for MaternaCare, as access to resources is essential to building and scaling these initiatives.
Additionally, Atlanta has become increasingly saturated with maternal-fetal health initiatives. While it’s encouraging to see more focus on this critical area, it has made standing out and securing partnerships more difficult. As a result, I’ve shifted my focus to the outskirts and rural communities, where disparities are often even more pronounced and resources are scarce. I believe this approach will be a game-changer for maternal-fetal health, particularly through the implementation of MaternaCare, which is designed to address these gaps and provide equitable care.
These struggles have been tough, but they’ve also fueled my resolve to push forward, innovate, and create lasting impact.
We’ve been impressed with SLH Wellness & Management LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
MaternaCare, MaternaLink, and the Maternal Fetal Health Alliance are all part of a larger vision led by SLH Wellness & Management LLC, the parent company that focuses on creating equitable and innovative healthcare solutions. SLH Wellness & Management LLC combines my expertise in healthcare, behavioral health, and corporate management to address two critical areas: employee wellness and digital health innovation.
Through SLH Wellness & Management, I develop tailored corporate wellness programs that empower employers to support their teams’ physical, mental, and emotional health. Our programs address workplace stress, improve organizational efficiency, and promote leadership development, ensuring that businesses thrive while prioritizing employee well-being. This work is deeply personal to me, as I have firsthand experience of how poor management practices can harm physical and mental health, which inspired me to create these holistic solutions.
SLH Wellness & Management also leads the development of cutting-edge digital health products. These products integrate advanced AI to improve women’s health, behavioral health, and chronic condition management. What sets us apart is our focus on fostering collaboration between patients and providers, ensuring our solutions are inclusive, equitable, and tailored to diverse populations. By addressing the social determinants of health and providing actionable insights to clinicians, these innovations create a more empowered and patient-centered healthcare experience.
Within this framework, MaternaCare and MaternaLink specialize in maternal-fetal health. MaternaCare is a transformative AI-driven platform designed to improve outcomes for mothers and infants by predicting and managing pregnancy complications. MaternaLink, a wearable device, complements the platform by providing real-time monitoring and personalized care, especially for underserved and high-risk populations. These initiatives are part of our 10-State Plan, starting in Georgia, to tackle disparities in rural and underserved areas, where maternal health needs are most critical.
The Maternal Fetal Health Alliance, our nonprofit arm, extends this mission by eradicating racial disparities in maternal healthcare, providing financial assistance for doula services, and advocating for culturally competent care. Together, these organizations form a comprehensive ecosystem that addresses maternal-fetal health from multiple angles: technological innovation, advocacy, and education.
I am most proud of how SLH Wellness & Management LLC ties all these efforts together under one mission: to create equitable, innovative, and impactful healthcare solutions. Whether through employee wellness programs, digital health products, or initiatives like MaternaCare, our work is driven by a vision to transform healthcare for individuals, families, and organizations alike.
I hope readers take away that SLH Wellness & Management LLC is not just a company—it’s a movement for better health, equity, and innovation across healthcare systems and workplaces.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I definitely consider myself a risk-taker, and my journey with MaternaCare and the 10-State Plan Initiative is a testament to that. Taking risks has been an integral part of pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, and striving to create meaningful change in maternal-fetal health.
When I created MaternaCare, I knew I was stepping into uncharted territory. Building a platform powered by advanced AI and wearable technology to address systemic disparities required significant investment—not just financially, but also emotionally and professionally. It was a risk to commit to developing a product that tackles one of the most complex and urgent issues in healthcare. From securing funding to navigating debates with healthcare administrators, I’ve had to challenge traditional approaches and advocate for innovative, data-driven solutions that many initially hesitated to embrace.
The 10-State Plan Initiative was another bold move. Focusing on underserved and rural communities, I am deliberately working in areas where disparities are most pronounced but resources are often lacking. This approach is risky because it involves implementing MaternaCare in environments that require significant education, outreach, and partnerships to succeed. It also demands forging connections with hospitals, physicians, Medicaid, and insurance providers—relationships that take time, effort, and persistence to build.
To me, risk-taking is about having a vision that feels bigger than your current resources or circumstances but choosing to pursue it anyway. It’s about believing in the value of the work and being willing to face challenges and uncertainties to make a difference. For MaternaCare, the risks I’ve taken are grounded in a deep conviction that addressing maternal-fetal health disparities is not only necessary but achievable through innovation, collaboration, and persistence.
I view risks as opportunities to grow, learn, and create. While the path isn’t always easy, the rewards—knowing you’ve contributed to a solution that could save lives and improve outcomes for mothers and babies—are immeasurable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://slhwellnessmanagement.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherress
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maternacare
