Village of Healing CEO Addresses Youngstown Infant Mortality Clinic Plans Da’na M. Langford, CEO and founder of Village of Healing, has publicly responded to city officials regarding plans to establish an infant mortality clinic in Youngstown. Langford stated that her organization only learned of complications with the proposed site through a media report, despite years of discussions with previous city administration. According to Langford, Village of Healing had been in active negotiations for over two years with former city officials to bring culturally sensitive healthcare services to the community through the redevelopment of the former Bottom Dollar building on Glenwood Avenue. The organization intended to operate an infant mortality clinic at the location as part of its mission to address racial disparities in maternal and infant health. Langford emphasized that no representatives from the current Mayor Derrick McDowell administration have contacted Village of Healing since taking office. She specifically noted that neither Law Director Adam Buente nor Community Planning and Economic Development Director DeMaine Kitchen have reached out to discuss the project’s status. While acknowledging a brief five-minute phone conversation facilitated by a third party regarding a potential site visit, Langford confirmed that no substantive follow-up has occurred. She added that Village of Healing’s legal team had engaged with the city’s law department following the municipal election, but the lack of responsiveness from city officials has prompted the organization to pause its expansion plans into Youngstown. Village of Healing, founded by Langford, is a Cleveland-based community development organization focused on eliminating social determinants of health and reducing healthcare disparities. The organization operates under the principle of delivering quality care that meets the social and cultural needs of patients, with specific initiatives aimed at improving outcomes for Black women and children in northeast Ohio. Through her dual roles as CEO of Village of Healing and president of Dána M. Langford Consulting, Langford continues to advocate for systemic change in healthcare access, combining clinical expertise as a certified nurse midwife with strategic advocacy to address inequities in maternal and infant health outcomes.
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