We are grateful to Andria Cornell, associate director for women’s and infant health at the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, and Ebony Marcelle, director of midwifery at Community of Hope DC, for joining us on November 12 to discuss the maternal mortality crisis in DC. In conversation with moderator Jill Rosenbaum Meyer, they offered a frank and moving analysis of the role of racism in driving outcomes for Black mothers in DC, a well as suggesting pathways to improved maternal health. They also addressed audience questions, moderated by Anna Gunnarsson Pfeiffer.
If you are interested in learning more about the issues addressed by the panelists, we suggest the following resources:
- Maternal Mortality and Maternity Care in the United States Compared to 10 Other Developed Countries, The Commonwealth Fund, November 18, 2020
- First Data Released on Maternal Mortality in Over a Decade, Centers for Disease Control, January 30, 2020
- Vital Signs: Checking in on DC’s Maternal Mortality Crisis, The DC Line, January 10, 2020
- Women in D.C. Face Obstacles at Every Step of Pregnancy and Childbirth, Washington City Paper, August 30, 2018
- Perinatal Health and Infant Mortality Report, DC Department of Health, May 2018
- This Racism Is Killing Me Inside, Code Switch, January 10, 2018