By InspireHer: A Global Women’s Health Initiative

Health inequities don’t persist because providers don’t care.
They persist because systems were never designed with everyone in mind.

In the third session of InspireHer’s Bridging the Gap series, Bridget Ochuko, PT, DPT, MPH, childbirth educator, and doula, shared what it looks like to meet that reality head-on—and then commit to changing it.

Her story is not just about individual success. It is about redefining how pelvic health care is delivered, who it reaches, and who gets to lead the work.

From Education to Advocacy: A Provider’s Path Into Systems Change

Dr. Ochuko’s journey into pelvic health was shaped early by a desire to serve communities with limited access to care. Growing up in a Nigerian household, conversations about mental health, sexuality, and systemic inequity were often unspoken—but deeply felt.

Like many providers from marginalized backgrounds, she navigated imposter syndrome alongside rigorous clinical training. Rather than pushing those experiences aside, she used them to clarify her purpose.

After earning her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Emory University, Dr. Ochuko pursued a Master of Public Health with a focus on global health and sexual and reproductive health. This dual lens—clinical expertise paired with public health systems—became foundational to her work.

A pivotal moment came during a Combined Sections Meeting, where a conversation with Tracy Spitznagle opened the door to mentorship and deeper engagement in pelvic health advocacy. That relationship continued through Dr. Ochuko’s residency at Washington University in St. Louis, shaping both her clinical confidence and her leadership trajectory.

Storytelling as a Clinical and Community Tool

A central theme of Dr. Ochuko’s session was the role of storytelling—not as marketing, but as methodology.

During her MPH training, she immersed herself in community-based participatory research, an approach that centers community voices as equal partners in program development. This philosophy informed her graduate thesis:

Physical Therapy for Better Birth: Recommendations to Create an Educational Program for Birth Workers.

Rather than assuming what birth workers needed, Dr. Ochuko interviewed doulas directly—listening to their experiences, gaps in pelvic health knowledge, and real-world constraints.

What emerged was not just insight, but an actionable framework: one that equips birth workers to recognize pelvic health needs, normalize referral to physical therapy, and support women across pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery.

This work became the foundation for collaborations that continue to inform InspireHer’s Better Birth Project—expanding access by educating providers who are already trusted within their communities.

Practicing While Underrepresented

Dr. Ochuko spoke candidly about the realities of working in a field where Black pelvic health providers remain underrepresented.

During her residency, she was often the only Black therapist in the room. Patients frequently expressed relief at being seen by someone who understood their cultural context and could advocate within systems that had previously dismissed them.

These moments were meaningful—but they also revealed a deeper truth.

When representation is scarce, the emotional labor of advocacy often falls disproportionately on minority providers. Dr. Ochuko named the tension of holding space for patients while navigating systems not designed for either of them.

Rather than allowing that burden to isolate her, she used it to fuel her commitment to building pathways for more inclusive leadership in pelvic health.

Designing Sustainable, Collaborative Care

Dr. Ochuko’s vision extends far beyond individual treatment sessions.

As a board leader with InspireHer, she is helping shape programs that integrate pelvic health physical therapy into broader models of maternal care—particularly through partnerships with doulas and childbirth educators.

Her approach emphasizes:

• Preconception pelvic health support
• Pregnancy education grounded in body literacy
• Postpartum rehabilitation that prioritizes long-term function

One client journey she shared—spanning painful intercourse, pregnancy, and now preparation for birth—illustrates what becomes possible when pelvic health care is woven into the full reproductive lifespan.

This is not episodic care.
It is continuity, prevention, and dignity in practice.

Lessons for Providers Who Want to Create Change

Dr. Ochuko closed with insights that resonate deeply with InspireHer’s provider community:

• Use your voice intentionally. Speak your goals clearly—systems don’t change if your vision stays internal.
• Seek mentorship and community. No one advances this work alone.
• Protect your energy. Sustainable impact requires boundaries and care for yourself.
• Adopt a public health lens. Understanding social determinants and systems expands what your clinical skills can accomplish.

Her story reminds us that equity work is not separate from clinical excellence—it is an extension of it.

Bridging the Gap, Together

At InspireHer, we believe the future of pelvic health depends on providers who are willing to look beyond traditional models and build something more inclusive, collaborative, and effective.

Dr. Ochuko’s work reflects what becomes possible when clinical expertise, public health insight, and community partnership come together.

This is how gaps close.
This is how systems evolve.
This is how care changes—one provider, one partnership, one community at a time.

👉 Support this work at gwhi.org/donations

Because equitable pelvic health care isn’t aspirational—it’s necessary.