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Summit Highlights Black Maternal Health Crisis

October 8, 2024
Amaodo Oguagha

I recently had the privilege of attending the Black Maternal Health Caucus Stakeholder Summit organized by Reps. Alma Adams (D-N.C.) and Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) in Joliet, Ill., where I connected with doulas, midwives, physicians, program leaders, researchers, and representatives from federal agencies working to combat the Black maternal health crisis.

The summit sought to spotlight the role we all play in advancing obstetric health outcomes and highlight federal policies and strategies to reduce Black maternal morbidity and mortality.

Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and approximately 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

America’s Essential Hospitals is committed to supporting its members as they seek to end these tragic disparities and provide equitable, high-quality care to all, while also combating the effects of structural racism in health care on marginalized people.

The Momnibus Act, which is the only legislation in Congress that targets the black maternal health crisis, provided the context for the summit’s agenda. Momnibus is a comprehensive set of bills aimed at improving maternal morbidity and mortality rates through 13 key focus areas. These include investing in community-based initiatives that aim to reduce climate-related exposure risks for birthing people and babies, improving obstetric care and support for incarcerated people, and investing in social determinants of health that influence obstetric outcomes.

A panel speaks during the Black Maternal Health Caucus Stakeholder Summit, in in Joliet, Ill.
A panel speaks during the Black Maternal Health Caucus Stakeholder Summit, in in Joliet, Ill.

Congress has passed only one of the 13 bills that comprise Momnibus, which increases funding for mental health care programs for veterans. However, the Caucus continues to advocate for the entire package and has secured more than $200 million in federal funding to support research, innovation, and programming related to Momnibus initiatives.

The summit highlighted how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and organizations like the Maternal Health Research Collaborative for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) are actively working to leverage Momnibus resources and advance Black maternal health.

Understanding how payment models can impact care, CMS is working on innovative maternity care payment models. HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson discussed how HRSA is using Momnibus funds to:

  • Champion research at MSIs on maternal health disparities
  • Increase access, utilization, and expansion of maternal mental health screenings and early intervention home visiting programs
  • Diversify the perinatal workforce to include doulas, midwives, and practitioners of color

Other speakers provided valuable insights on how institutions, especially MSIs, community organizations, and local governments, can access more than $200 million in Momnibus funding to reach these goals.

Additionally, representatives from organizations such as Count the Kicks shared how they’ve applied federal dollars to target societal stressors that impact maternal health. They emphasized the impact this work has on Black birthing people, their families, and the broader community.

I left the summit inspired to continue our efforts in advancing maternal health equity and keep pushing for change.

For a closer look into America’s Essentials Hospitals’ work on the Black maternal health crisis, read our recent report, “Improving Black Obstetric Outcomes in Essential Hospitals,” and previous Member Insights Stories, “Essential Hospitals Tackle Structural Inequities in Maternal Health Care,” “Alameda Health System Program Shapes Next Generation of Black Obstetric Care,” and “Mitigating the Black Maternal Health Crisis through a Five-Step Framework.

For more information about the Black Maternal Health Caucus, Momnibus Act, and Stakeholder Summit, visit the Stakeholder Summit website.

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