For Immediate Release

July 15, 2020

CONTACT
Tomi Ojo
(567) 204-4825 https://massmaternalequity.org/

New Coalition Demands that Governor and Legislature Take Immediate Action to Address Maternal Mortality Crisis During COVID-19
Coalition announces six policy priorities to protect and prioritize birthing people during the pandemic

Massachusetts, July 15, 2020 - The Massachusetts COVID-19 Maternal Equity Coalition releases the report Birthing in a Pandemic, issuing policy recommendations to Governor Baker and the Legislature to improve maternal health for Black and brown birthing people during COVID-19 in the Commonwealth.

The COVID-19 crisis has strained our hospitals and health care system beyond capacity, shining a light on our already-failing maternity care system and exacerbating existing maternal health inequities in the Commonwealth. Prior to the pandemic, maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidities had been rising for years in Massachusetts -- with persistent racial and geographic disparities -- due to system failures and pervasive racism. Now, we are seeing the troubling trends of the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 being born by Black and brown communities, and the collision of multiple public health crises: racism, COVID, and maternal mortality and morbidity in the Commonwealth.

At the Coalition’s virtual Town Hall on June 3, pregnant and birthing people, providers, community members, and legislators including Senator Elizabeth Warren, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Congresswoman Katherine Clark, State Senate President Karen Spilka, State Representative Liz Miranda, State Senator Becca Rausch, State Representative Kay Khan, and State Senator Joan Lovely shared their perspectives on and experiences of being pregnant, giving birth, or caring for birthing people during the pandemic. Many birthing people shared stories of traumatic isolation, high rates of anxiety and depression, fragmented care, and confusion or unawareness of hospital policies/practices. These experiences demonstrate the variation in provider and institutional practices and in their adoption of up-to-date guidelines from professional health organizations. There is an immediate and urgent need for a coordinated response across the state.

“My follow up care was canceled and it was rescheduled as a call-in instead of an in person meeting and that caused great alarm for me. Because if you are a Black woman the numbers are always in

the back of your head and you carry that fear with you throughout your pregnancy...These are the experiences that Black women are having. And then you compound that with the reality of our current state of affairs, where Black pain, when it comes to racism, is at the forefront of our society in a way that causes a whole level of stress to Black moms,” said Manikka Bowman, Cambridge School Committee Member who recently gave birth.

Based on the experiences of pregnant and birthing people in the Commonwealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, in consultation with the leadership of Coalition partners, and national and international best practices, the Coalition identified six key policy recommendations to ensure equitable, evidence-based, system-level policy reforms are enacted in the protection of birthing people in our state. In summary, the Coalition recommends the Governor and Legislature take immediate action to:

Form a COVID-19 Emergency Maternal Equity Task Force
Collect Data on Pregnant and Birthing People, Race/Ethnicity, and COVID-19
Ensure Consistency in Hospital Perinatal Policies, Including Support People and
Mother-Infant Separation
Ensure Immediate Access to Ongoing Mental Health Care for Birthing People
Ensure Ongoing Comprehensive Medicaid Coverage for Birthing People
Expand Midwifery Care and Community Birth Options

“As COVID has ravaged our hospitals, economy and taken a particular toll on communities of color, we must come together to offer thoughtful policy solutions to this crisis within maternal care. I am so pleased to see this coalition come together and am committed to working collaboratively with my fellow legislators to move to action as soon as possible based on their recommendations,” said State Representative Liz Miranda.

As healthcare delivery and policy continues to evolve to mitigate the spread of the virus and adhere to necessary social distancing guidelines, enacting policies that promote dignity, agency, equity, and transparency in the care of birthing people is essential. Such guidelines should center the voices of women and birthing people of color, as they are most severely impacted by the pandemic and poor maternal outcomes.

To learn more about the Coalition and to receive a copy of our report, please sign-up for our listserv here.

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Massachusetts COVID-19 Maternal Equity Coalition Steering Committee

Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, Emily Anesta, Katie Shea Barrett, Dr. Renee Boynton-Jarrett, Dr. Allison Bryant, Marianne Bullock, Soraya DosSantos, Liz Friedman, Rev. Barbara Groover, Nneka Hall, Dr. Pooja Mehta, Dr. Jo-Anna Rorie, Dr. Katharine White, Christian White