Victory for Maternal Health Equity
On Oct. 29, the New York City Council passed a legislative package designed to address the ongoing maternal mortality crisis in the city. The legislation advances policy solutions that emerged from the Council’s Maternal Health Steering Committee. Established in February, the steering committee was created to confront the crisis—and its severe racial disparities—by providing solutions across different levels of government.
In addition to the legislative package, the committee also released a report that outlines their findings after nearly a year of speaking to directly impacted New Yorkers, research, and advocacy to improve maternal health outcomes. NYSNA First Vice President Dr. Judith Cutchin, DNP, RN was invited to be a part of the steering committee, and her work and experience as a public sector nurse were instrumental in creating meaningful solutions for low-income, underinsured and uninsured patients of color.
Across convenings with advocates, providers and clinicians, healthcare workers and elected officials, the committee gathered information about the root causes of the crisis, the ways directly-impacted patients interact with the healthcare system, the effectiveness of preventative care, the need for continuity of care, and the needs of the healthcare workers who provide these critical services. The committee’s chief finding was that the factors that contribute to pregnancy-related death must be addressed, including: “discrimination; a lack of culturally competent; high-quality care; and broader determinants of health, such as housing security, mental health, nutrition, and other socioeconomic conditions.”
The passage of this maternal mortality-focused legislative package could not come at a better time. Last week, the state’s Maternal Mental Health Workgroup released its own report, which draws a two-year road map for making improvements to maternal health in New York state with currently available funding. Much like the Council’s Maternal Health Steering Committee, the Workgroup found that Black New Yorkers, who suffer from a disproportionately high maternal mortality rate, also face a higher rate of post-partum mental health challenges. Subsequently, the report recommends new strategies for public awareness and education, community engagement, and the provision of culturally competent care.
NYSNA nurses care deeply about the lives of our patients—including birthing parents. We will continue to advocate for compassionate, culturally competent care for patients and the resources necessary to ensure nurses can provide it. We also care deeply about the lives of our historically underserved communities and will continue to advocate for policy solutions that look to address systemic underinvestment in Black, brown, low-income, and underinsured communities.