U.S Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is calling for legislation and nearly $180 million in federal funding to address what she said is a maternal health crisis.
During a news conference Friday at the Center for Gynecological Care & Wellness at Trillium Health in Rochester, the New York Democrat pointed to a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“20% of respondents in the survey reported mistreatment from health care providers during pregnancy and delivery,” noted Gillibrand. “This included being shouted at or scolded, being ignored, threatened, withholding treatment, or made to accept unwanted treatment. The numbers were even higher for Black and Hispanic and multiracial women, of whom nearly 30% reported mistreatment.”
Gillibrand is also pushing for legislation called the Moms Matter Act which she said would establish grant programs to support mothers dealing with maternal mental health disorders and behavioral health treatments.
State Senator Samra Brouk (D-55), said that New York has made strides, but she’s glad for the additional federal support.
“Here in New York state, we have increased funding for doula support, we have supported culturally competent maternal mental health screenings, and we've also created the maternal mental health workgroup,” said Brouk, “but none of that work is possible if we don't have a federal government that also believes in this work.”
Jason Barnecut-Kearns, the President & CEO of Trillium Health, said that it will take “a coordinated effort to address longstanding inequities.” He noted that a recent report from Common Ground Health said that Latino communities in Rochester are three times more likely to experience adverse health outcomes.
That report, according to Barnecut-Kearns, also said that Black communities in Rochester face dramatically higher rates of premature mortality from nearly every condition, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and premature birth disorders. And he said it also showed that racial health inequities are especially acute among Black women.
Gillibrand said statistics show that in Monroe County, the maternal mortality rate is 56% higher than the New York state average, and she said the nation needs to “invest in the social determinants of health like housing and nutrition.”
The senator called on the federal government to provide more education and support services for mothers by investing in doulas and perinatal health workers.
