Meet Jocquelene Pressley | Midwife,Certified Community Health Worker, Certified CPR Instructor, Certified Carseat Installation Tech and Certified Doula

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jocquelene Pressley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jocquelene, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I came up with the idea for Cherished Hearts because I saw a need in my community. The concept started off as filling on void and continued to evole. Cherished Hearts started off offering CPR training services in 2016 after I realized there was a need in the inner city for affordable CPR and first Aid training that was moblie. In 2018 the company expanded to provide doula services to black families in hamilton county in order to decrease the infant mortality and maternal morbitiy in the area. My primary focus was the income based housing in the area with extra focus on Avondale and Winton Hills. The more I worked with the population the more I realized that it was important not to only focus on pregnancy but out social determinates of healh. I quickly relized that if a famillies basic need are not being met its almost impossible to focus on the pregnancy. I spent alot of time sharing resouces in order to remove barrier to create better health outcomes. In 2022 Cherished Hearts expanded once again to add on home birth midwifery services in order to support families in Hamilton and Butler wishing to birh their children at home. Cherished Hearts was solely created to fill the gaps I observed in the community.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
If I had to name one thing that sets me apart for others I would have to say lived experiences. I did not receive a college degree however I did receive many Certificates and certifications. I worked as a State tested nurses aid and as a home health aid., I beleive that those experiences working and listening to stories from the elderly help me to look at things from a differnt perspective. After about 8 years of working with the eldery I applied to become an AmeriCorps this program really helped shape my career. I was working at the City of Cincinnati Health Department in health promotions working on health eating, active living and tabacco free living programs. it was in this position where I fell in love with public health. This position also allowed me to work in priority communites of Evanston, Winton Hills and the south west mill creek corridors. all the communites mentioned I had family who lived there or I lived in them. I found it easy to work their and I was also able to present different perspectives when attending community stake holder meeting and community coucil meetings. I found documentating to be challaging in the beginning but after awhile it became easy. I learned how to advocate, create policy and how to create system changes. I was able to transfer those skills to my business. Everything we do at my business is done with commuinty and pubic health model at the center, I want the world to konw that cherished Hearts contractors focus on creating better health outcomes for the community I also want the world to know that we provide indiviualized care plans with the help of our clients. we do whatever it takes to support educate and nuture families in the city of cincinnati.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Im a homebody, however when I do go out I like to go to Vybz Hooka lounge in Roselawn, We would grab some wings and fries listen to music. I very much enjoy supporting my kids in their extracurricular activites so you will more than likely see me a an Aiken High School football game on a friday night . I love hanging with my friends mostly at their houses or on sunday morning you can find me at the Well Church in Bond Hill.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate my shout out to the Cincinnati Community, if I had not been for the community I would not be doing this work I was welcomed loved and supported in so many ways from so many people throghout Cincinnati it only right that I thank the city.

Website: cherishedheartsfamily.org

Facebook: Cherished Hearts family support services llc

Image Credits
Ronasia Mack