From Questions to Care: Championing Improved Perinatal Health Outcomes at NC MATTERS with Siri Dommata

Hi everyone! My name is Siri Dommata, and I am a senior from Apex, North Carolina, studying Neuroscience and Medicine, Literature, and Culture.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved two things: learning about people and asking questions. I’ve always wanted to know why— why someone saves the green Skittles for last, why we knock on wood when we hope for something good, and as I grew older, why we connect with stories, how people carry their joy and difficulty, and how this shapes our understanding of purpose. This love for understanding people shaped my commitment to service, care, and medicine. During my time at UNC, I learned that asking questions is not only about gathering information, but also about listening to the stories people live. As I engaged in patient-centered settings, I understood that behind every diagnosis, every decision, and every data point, there is a human story. Asking thoughtful, intentional questions was my way of honoring these stories.

This pursuit of asking questions to understand people solidified my interest in discovery and research. During my freshman year, I joined the Genetic Determinants of Neurological and Developmental Disorders study under the mentorship of Dr. Senyene Hunter, investigating disease-causing genetic variants that contribute to epilepsy in pediatric patients. Our work characterizing seizures in an ultra-rare overgrowth disorder showed me a human side of scientific inquiry. What stuck with me most were the stories of patients and families navigating a medical condition that lacked awareness, recognition, and resources. Identifying the pathologies that inform targeted therapies taught me that each genetic question we ask is ultimately in service of a person, their family, and their story.

Throughout my time at UNC, I realized that questions that can shape clinical care are not confined to biology. As I worked on a study to understand the barriers to menstrual equity under the mentorship of Dr. Shilpa Darivemula, I learned that these questions can also live in people’s homes, communities, cultures, and histories. Through this work, we listened to participants’ experiences of menstrual healthcare and learned how structural barriers, cultural practices, family narratives, and personal beliefs influenced their understanding of menstrual equity. This experience sparked my passion for women’s health. I was drawn to how this discipline has many great transitions, from menarche to motherhood to menopause. I learned that supporting people through these transitions involves meeting them where they are and honoring their emotions, hopes, and histories.

So when I was matching with an internship worksite, I realized NC MATTERS was the perfect fit. NC MATTERS, which stands for Making Access to Treatment, Evaluation, Resources, and Screening Better, is a resource for frontline healthcare providers to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care for their pregnant and postpartum patients who are affected by mental health or substance use disorders. This statewide program offers provider training, tools, and education for the screening and treatment of perinatal mental health conditions, as well as a psychiatric consultation access line to improve perinatal health outcomes. NC MATTERS also offers patient-facing support, including one-time psychiatric assessments and resource and referral services for patients and families. 

During my internship, I have worked under the guidance of Karen Burns, who is the Program Director for the North Carolina Psychiatry Access Line, to support the programming at NC MATTERS, including the expansion of a statewide resource and provider database for patients seeking outpatient clinical support, development of provider toolkits on equitable Intimate Partner Violence care, and creation of dissemination materials on innovative models of healthcare delivery as well as access program efficacy. Additionally, I contributed to developing a course that educates providers on integrated behavioral health care and perinatal mental health, and I investigated barriers and focused strategies to improve care for marginalized perinatal populations in North Carolina. 

I have also had the opportunity to attend interdisciplinary organizational and strategic working group meetings with leaders across the country implementing and evaluating psychiatric access programs, analyzing systemic risks for maternal mortality, and innovating in the fields of maternal mental health and women’s mood disorders. It has been inspiring to learn from such passionate and committed professionals who are striving to improve perinatal health outcomes and discover novel ways to support this population.

Reflecting on my internship experience, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Karen Burns for her guidance and mentorship, as well as her belief in my development in the field of maternal and fetal health. I would also like to thank Dr. Steven Buzinski, Richie Gray, and Emily Dolegowski for giving me this opportunity, and for facilitating this program. Through this experience, I have gotten to ask many questions and learn many stories, which I will carry with me throughout my professional and personal pursuits.