For years, the West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa was primarily known as one of Alabama’s leading abortion providers, serving women from across the state as well as neighbouring parts of the US South. That changed dramatically when the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing states to ban abortion. Alabama’s near-total abortion ban followed almost immediately, forcing clinics across the state to rethink their future. Rather than shutting its doors, the organisation chose a different direction. Supported by a four-year, $5 million grant connected to philanthropist Melinda French Gates’ organisation, it reinvented itself as WAWC Healthcare, offering a much wider range of services for women and families. WAWC Healthcare is now featured by Pivotal as one of the organisations representing its wider investment in women’s health.As reported by Fortune, the philanthropist’s organisation recently announced $215 million in grants supporting women’s healthcare initiatives across the world, with the Tuscaloosa centre highlighted as an example of how locally rooted organisations can expand access to care in challenging circumstances.
6 May 2026 | 16:56
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Melinda French Gates’ funding reshaped WAWC Healthcare
Before the legal changes, the centre’s work largely revolved around reproductive healthcare, including abortion services. Once those services became illegal in Alabama, its leadership accelerated plans that had existed long before the Supreme Court’s decision.As reported by Alabama Public Radio, Robin Marty, who led the organisation through that transition, said the broader healthcare model had always been the intended destination. “It was always meant to be a full spectrum health care center,” she said. Marty explained that “it was always going to have contraceptive services, it was always going to have birthing services, and maternal health support,” before adding, “This is the chance for us to be able to put all of these services together in one place.”
Inside WAWC Healthcare’s focus on maternal mental health
Reportedly, one of the most significant additions has been dedicated mental health support for women during pregnancy and after childbirth. The programme is led by licensed professional counsellor Tamela Hughes-Lawson, whose work largely focuses on Black women, who make up almost all of the centre’s patient population. Much of her work involves supporting women experiencing postpartum depression while also helping them navigate the emotional pressures that can follow childbirth.Hughes-Lawson said many women grow up believing they must hide emotional struggles because strength is expected of them. “The black woman essentially has always had this stereotype… as this strong black woman,” she said, describing how that expectation can discourage women from asking for help.She added that untreated postpartum depression can sometimes develop into more serious mental health conditions. “Some things escalate to different things, so there’s postpartum psychosis that can be a result of postpartum depression,” she said.Reflecting on the new service, Hughes-Lawson said, “The goal was to always create a space where women as a whole, but especially black women, can feel safe, seen, and supported.”
Why the project stood out
Fortune reports that the funding came through Melinda French Gates’ organisation, Pivotal, with grant selection supported by Levers for Change.According to Pivotal’s Vice President of Programme Strategy, Renee Wittemyer, the Tuscaloosa organisation distinguished itself because of the trust it had built within its community and the way it broadened its mission after losing abortion services. “The work of WAWC just stood out,” she said.Wittemyer also pointed to the organisation’s wider role beyond patient care. “Because of the trust that they’ve created in the community, because they have policy angles, they expanded their work as a training hub for other providers… it’s a wonderful model,” she said.
