September 14 Forum to Examine Maternal Mortality Through a Health Equity Lens

September 1, 2022

The MMA will host a physician forum at noon on Wednesday, September 14, that will examine maternal mortality through a health equity lens. This forum will be held in partnership with the Minnesota Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG-MN). 

The ongoing crisis of deteriorating maternal health and rampant racism are amplified in their intersectionality. The maternal mortality rate in the US, which was the highest among developed countries pre-pandemic, is predicted to be even higher now. In 2020, Minnesota’s maternal mortality rate (MMR) was double that of Canada’s. For patients of color, their risk of dying in childbirth is three times higher than that of white patients (regardless of income, education or occupation).  Racial inequity in housing, income and education in Minneapolis is the highest of any US metropolitan area, further exacerbating the problem.  
 
ACOG-MN and the MMA are focused on disrupting structural racism to improve healthcare delivery and thus the health status of all our patients. This conversation with Minnesota’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) members Emily Hawes-Van Pelt, MD, and Dominique Jones, MD, moderated by Siri Fiebiger, MD, will examine the issue of maternal mortality inequities, elaborate on the impact of structural racism, and illuminate possible paths forward. 

This forum will explore maternal health disparities as they relate to health equity:   

• the impact of racism in healthcare on maternal health inequities  

• the relationship between physician workforce diversity and health equity  

• the experience of culturally competent care and maternal health outcomes  

• the strategies and solutions needed to address maternal health inequities  

 Learning objectives for the forum include: 

• Discover how racism in healthcare impacts maternal health outcomes for birthing people of color  

• Examine the need for, and barriers to, a more diverse physician workforce to improve health equity  

• Evaluate the relationship between culturally competent care and maternal health outcomes  

• Recognize how allyship and awareness can improve care for marginalized groups