Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions’ Post

Black women across the UK are four times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth. This new article reports that black mothers are almost twice as likely to be investigated for potential NHS safety failings and reminds us of the urgent need for equitable healthcare: https://lnkd.in/geN-D4nw An example of a solution aiming to reduce this inequity is Melanatal App. Being built by Ruby Jackson, this app will educate clinicians and service users within maternity services to bridge critical knowledge gaps, aiding detection and improving diagnosis rates to increase treatment uptake. Reducing maternal health disparities will undoubtedly require a multifaceted approach. In what ways do you see digital health playing a part in this? #HealthEquity #DigitalHealth

“How is it that we got paid $1,000 for nine months of prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care, but one hour of a joint replacement gets paid $1,600?” Cooper asks, referring to Alabama’s Medicaid compensation rates. It takes a truly ignorant person to not see that women's health and maternal health aren't valued by our higher institutions, organizations, policymakers, leaders, and many in our society. So, the attached financial value to services for women's and maternal health naturally reflects that. Not only is this gender bias deeply entrenched in medicine and science, we also see this in health insurance. Key example is the low rates of reimbursement for birth workers by the ongoing Tricare Childbirth and Breastfeeding Support Demonstration (CBSD). I remember asking why health insurance companies aren't interested in maternal health and pregnancy. "There isn't money in it. It costs more than making a profit," I'm told. Profit. It's becoming a dirty word for me. So, once again, I ask, "Why should women choose to have children when our health and quality of life is, at best, an after-thought?" Leaders. You want your nation's birth rates to get better? You want economic growth? Most importantly, do you want to continue to be looked after in your old age? Then, look after the mothers in your country. Look after the fathers and non-birthing partners who want to be involved in childraising. Truly and intentionally look after the families in your country. Then, you'll have a pension and social + health system that can keep you comfortable in your old age and afford to help you pass with dignity when your time comes. #maternalhealth #profit #womenshealth #menshealth #paternalhealth #postpartum #postnatal #genderbias #gendergap #tricare #cbsd #militaryspouse #birthworkers #pregnancy #birthrate #fertilityrate Read the full article here by TIME:

In recent months and years, Massachusetts has taken steps to create healthier outcomes for Black mothers and birthing individuals – yet much more action is needed. As we recognize #BlackMaternalHealthWeek, we're reminded of the progress that has been made in our state including Boston Medical Center (BMC)'s new maternal care protocols that have already yielded measurable results, Mass Health's commitment to covering doula and midwifery services, and legislative progress towards equitable health infrastructure through bills such as #AnActtoAdvanceHealthEquity and An Act Ensuring Access to Full Spectrum Pregnancy Care. We also recognize that there is still much progress to be made to achieve maternal health equity, as the state’s rate of severe maternal morbidity among Black birthing people is more than double that of their white counterparts, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health . The Compact will continue to join others in advancing the accessible care, data collection, and legislative action needed to address these disparities. Read more about Black maternal health from a WBUR op-ed penned by Boston Public Health Commission's Bisola Ojikutu, Mass General Brigham's Allison Bryant Mantha, and An Act to Advance Health Equity sponsor Senator Liz Miranda. https://lnkd.in/eJtkJxDG #MAPoli #HealthEquity #MaternalHealth

The Senate passed an omnibus maternal health care package that expands care options and creates a path for certified professional midwives to become licensed. The Senate bill, which is similar to legislation the House passed last month, would also remove barriers to establishing free-standing birth centers, boost access to postpartum depression screenings, raise awareness of pregnancy loss, establish a digital resource center on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and strengthen regulations over ultrasounds. https://ow.ly/BCyX50T4jWx

Three south west trusts to launch BadgerNet maternity system - Digital Health #BadgerNetMaternitySystemLaunch Three south west trusts are set to launch the BadgerNet maternity system, a digital platform designed to streamline maternity care processes and improve patient outcomes. The system will be implemented at three trusts in the south west region, with the goal of enhancing communication, data sharing, and overall efficiency in maternity care. #DigitalHealthTechnologyIntegration #BenefitsOfBadgerNetMaternitySystem The BadgerNet maternity system offers a range of benefits for healthcare providers and patients alike. These include improved access to patient information, enhanced communication between healthcare teams, and better coordination of care throughout the maternity journey. The system also enables real-time monitoring of patient progress and facilitates seamless data sharing between different healthcare settings. #PatientCare ai.mediformatica.com #trust #hospital #hospitals #badgernet #health #maternity #nhsfoundationtrust #systemc #acce #digital #pregnancy #acutehospitalalliance #digitalhealth #healthit #healthtech #healthcaretechnology @MediFormatica (https://buff.ly/3zXdOWz)

As we head toward the final week of the legislative session, we are reflecting back on some key moments. In June, the Massachusetts House took a huge step towards advancing maternal health, passing H.4773, An Act promoting access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options, by unanimous vote. We are grateful to House leadership for prioritizing and addressing maternal health disparities and especially to Rep. Majorie Decker, Public Health Committee co-chair in advancing this legislation. Chair Decker has been an advocate for increasing access to comprehensive, affordable maternal health care throughout her career and her leadership in protecting and expanding reproductive care is especially needed in these times. The bill increases options for those that are pregnant by offering a licensing pathway to certified midwives and lactation consultants, removing regulatory barriers on freestanding birth centers, and expanding access to postpartum depression screenings. Maternal morbidity data has alarming implications for health inequity – black women have a 70 percent greater risk of experiencing severe pregnancy or labor complications and black babies have 2.4 times the overall infant mortality rate and are nearly four times more likely to die from low-birth-weight complications compared to white babies. In terms of impact on health care costs, state health regulators say complications during delivery and pregnancy can cost twice as much in medical spending. H.4773 is a notable step in the right direction – midwifery care is linked to fewer maternal deaths, infant deaths, unnecessary C-sections, and postpartum complications, among other benefits. We look forward to continued efforts by the Massachusetts Legislature to eliminate health inequities and hope to see this bill become law. https://lnkd.in/eFcdjJHq

Could Mississippi address its maternal and infant health crisis through midwives and birth centers? I delve into the issue in my first piece for Think Global Health.

🚨 Massachusetts is facing a maternal health crisis, with severe pregnancy complications doubling over the past decade. Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, explains that current metrics often miss the full scope, leading to underreporting and misclassification of maternal mortality. 🔍 She highlights how structural racism exacerbates the issue, especially for Black birthing people and supports the Maternal Health Omnibus Bill (Momnibus) because it addresses these discrepancies and aims to improve maternal health outcomes. 💡 The bill includes expanding access to midwives and birth centers, improving postpartum care, and advancing the highest priorities outlined by the Massachusetts Special Commission on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health. Read more about her perspective on this critical issue here: https://ow.ly/Ppln50SLQVX #MaternalHealth #TuftsMedicine #HealthEquity #Momnibus #BlackMaternalHealth

Karie E Stewart, MPH, CNM, FACNM for example, started Melanated Group Midwifery Care three years ago to provide prenatal and postpartum care “for Black people, by Black people.” As a labor and delivery nurse in Chicago, Stewart said that she always noticed that Black patients were treated differently. “Their care was not even close to what their counterparts were getting,” she said. To help combat those inequalities — and the dangers birthing people and babies can face when they get substandard care — Melanated Group connects each patient with a Black midwife, doula, nurse, and social worker. Together, they make sure that no matter what issues come up during or after pregnancy, patients always have someone to reach out to — someone who will actually listen to their concerns. Black families and reproductive justice advocates have been sounding the alarm on maternal deaths for years, and lawmakers are beginning to listen. Almost all states have extended Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum, the period when most maternal deaths occur, and a dozen states have expanded Medicaid to cover doula services. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently proposed a six-point plan to address maternal mortality, including provisions to improve mental health care and make prenatal care more affordable and accessible. Much more is necessary, and with every birth, researchers like Stewart are hoping to provide a roadmap for policymakers and hospitals looking to combat centuries of racism and save Black birthing people’s lives. “[We can’t] let the 400 years of colonialization, enslavement, Jim Crow, and discrimination be so paralyzing that one is disinclined to act,” said Amanda Williams , an OB-GYN and clinical innovation adviser at the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative. “It really is possible to be better.”

One of the factors that perpetuates health disparities is incongruent care, which results from discrepancies between those who make the decisions about healthcare priorities and the recipients of care. Learn why including doulas or midwives as part of a care team can help bridge that gap, improve birth equity, and augment your existing maternity care programs in our new article: https://lnkd.in/es7YQHTs