Recognizing urgent maternal warning signs, providing timely treatment, and delivering respectful, quality care can significantly reduce maternal mortality.
The systemic failures are centered around implicit bias, access to care, and structural racism. How do we begin to address these systemic failures? A few ways to do so encompass implicit bias training (racial bias) that is mandatory for healthcare providers, which will aid in equitable care delivery being a standard, versus a coincidence.
Secondly, an expansion of the perinatal workforce that includes more healthcare professionals of color, which can help bridge gaps in access to care and provide a reduction in bias, and third, applying for grants funded through The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, that will address disparities and promote culturally sensitive care.
Policy recommendations include expanding postpartum Medicaid benefits. Advocates call for extending postpartum Medicaid benefits to a full year (instead of the current 60 days required by federal law) to ensure access to adequate care during the critical postpartum period. States that have expanded postpartum Medicaid benefits have seen lower rates of maternal death, particularly for Black women.
Community-based organizations also play a crucial role in advocating for better care and resources for Black moms.
Everyone can contribute to change by encouraging pregnant individuals to seek timely care, recognizing urgent warning signs, and by advocating for policy changes that prioritize maternal healthcare.
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