Making maternal mortality a priority

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Jul 14, 2023 View in browser   By Sophie Gardner Presented by POLITICO illustration/Photo by iStock Happy Friday. I hope you all had a lovely week. Let's get to it: “Sir, your wife just isn't a priority right now.'" That’s what Charles Johnson says a nurse told him when he asked why his wife, Kira Johnson, had not received a CT scan hours after experiencing a complication as a result of a scheduled cesarean section in 2016. Later that night, in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, she would die after experiencing severe internal bleeding. She was an active 39-year-old who ran marathons, raced cars and was a licensed pilot. (Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported that Cedars-Sinai is facing a federal investigation over its treatment of Black mothers.) After Kira’s death, her husband decided to share the story to bring attention to the U.S.’ exceptionally high maternal mortality rate – which is even more dire for Black women like Kira. “All of God's children are precious, but Kira Johnson was a Black woman who flew airplanes and ran marathons,” Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) tells Women Rule in an interview. “She had the income, she had the insurance, and she literally died in her hospital bed, hours after giving birth to a child, begging for care. And the data suggests that this is not an anomaly.” “The way that I approach this work is with her energy and mind,” Charles Johnson tells me. “I know that she would not settle for anything other than complete accountability, complete transparency, not only for our family, but for other families as well.” Charles Johnson has started a non-profit, 4Kira4Moms, aimed at reducing maternal mortality. He’s worked with members of Congress including Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) to help shape some of the bills included in the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act. One of those bills, the Kira Johnson Act, was reintroduced in the Senate this week by Warnock and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). The bill would provide $100 million in funding per year for five years to community-based organizations offering programs and resources intended to improve maternal health outcomes for demographics with high maternal mortality rates. It also would provide a yearly $5 million in grants for five years to implement anti-bias training for employees in maternity health settings. “I like the fact that this legislation provides resources to grassroots organizations that are on the ground already doing this work,” Warnock says. “They need our support.” The U.S. has the highest pregnancy-related death rate among developed nations. And in 2021, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 2.6 times higher than the rate for white women. “Inexcusably in the United States, there are significant and persistent racial disparities that are impacting maternal health outcomes,” says Wanda Barfield, director of the Division of Reproductive Health at the CDC. “Maternal health really matters not just for the health of the mother, which is critically important, but also for the health of the baby and for society as a whole.” Experts point to a variety of reasons for the racial disparities – like the fact that “Black women are more likely to deliver in areas where the quality of care is lower,” says Barfield. But recently, they’ve also been pointing to implicit bias and systemic racism in the health care sector as likely playing a role – as did a United Nations Population Fund report on Black maternal mortality released this week which included the U.S in its analysis. Southern states, like the one Warnock represents, generally have higher maternal mortality rates than the rest of the U.S. In 2021, the most recent year that data is available, Mississippi had the highest rate, at 82.5 deaths per 100,000 births. The second highest was New Mexico, with 79.5. “New Mexico’s mothers and all mothers deserve better,” Rep. Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) tells Women Rule. Fernández, along with the majority of the New Mexico congressional delegation, all Democrats, expressed support for the Momnibus bill. None of Mississippi’s delegation responded to a request for comment, though Sen. Bennie Thompson, the state’s lone Democrat, previously sponsored the legislation. So while Southern states suffer the most, it’s unclear how supportive their largely Republican congresspeople will be of the Momnibus. The legislation was first introduced in 2020, but has struggled to muster enough support to make it through both chambers. Warnock seems to be holding out hope. “This is not a partisan issue,” he tells Women Rule. “The good news is that we can address this and I'm hopeful that we will get this done.”   A message from the American Council of Life Insurers: In today’s competitive labor market, people look for workplace benefits that help set them up for financial security through all stages of life. America’s life insurers make certain employers can deliver key benefits like paid leave, disability insurance, dental coverage and retirement savings to their employees. Learn more here.   POLITICO Special Report Perrigo via AP Photo “Birth control pills could soon be over the counter. What’s next?” by Robert King and Alice Miranda Ollstein for POLITICO: “The FDA’s decision to approve Opill, the country’s first over-the-counter birth control pill, was quickly cheered by reproductive-rights advocates who believe it will dramatically expand access to birth control.” “House intel committee pushing new legislation to help CIA sexual assault victims,” by Daniel Lippman for POLITICO: “At least three female CIA employees who say they were victims of sexual assault at the agency have approached the committee since January to tell them that the agency is discouraging women from making sexual misconduct complaints. An attorney representing some of them said that the CIA also was making it difficult for alleged victims to speak to law enforcement.” “U.S. to pay nearly $1M to settle sexual assault case against former top general,” by Lara Seligman for POLITICO. “House blocks Pentagon abortion policy in defense bill, imperiling passage,” by Connor O’Brien, Katherine Tully-McManus, Olivia Beavers and Sarah Ferris for POLITICO. Number of the Week Read more here. MUST READS Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Photo “Why the DeSantis campaign is betting on the political power of ‘mamas’” by Barbara Rodriguez for the 19th: “If Iowa is the epicenter of American politics for the next six months, with Republicans vying to win the party’s first-in-the-nation caucus here in early 2024, the women at this Johnston event might just represent the voting bloc who could make a difference in an increasingly crowded primary field.” “Working women's record-setting comeback,” by Aki Ito for Insider: “The pandemic, economists warned, might wipe out a generation of progress for working women. But instead, the opposite happened: Women came roaring back to the workforce in record numbers. By early this year, their ranks had returned to pre-pandemic levels. Today, 77.8 percent of women between the ages of 25 and 54 are in the labor force, surpassing the previous peak in 2000. The pandemic didn't impair women's careers. It supercharged them.” “Indigenous women in Canada forcibly sterilized decades after other rich countries stopped,” by Maria Cheng for the Associated Press: “Decades after many other rich countries stopped forcibly sterilizing Indigenous women, numerous activists, doctors, politicians and at least five class-action lawsuits say the practice has not ended in Canada.” “Ruth Fitzpatrick, Crusader for Letting Women Be Priests, Dies at 90,” by Richard Sandomir for the New York Times. Quote of the Week Read more here. Transitions Elizabeth Cherot has been named president and CEO of March of Dimes, a nonprofit that supports mothers and babies. Before that, she led the group’s Office of Maternal and Child Health Impact and is the first physician to lead the organization. She begins on July 17. (h/t Pulse) Kristin Matzen has been named chief communications officer at TIME. She was most recently TIME’s vice president of communications. Melis Tusiray and Anne Clawson are launching Cascade Strategies, a woman- and minority-owned advisory firm. Tusiray previously was director of operations for Epic Magazine at Vox Media. Clawson most recently was VP for policy and regulatory affairs at the National Alliance of Forest Owners. (h/t Playbook)   A message from the American Council of Life Insurers: As 80 million workers engage in flexible work and more are looking for it, life insurers have the tools to help modern workplaces thrive. Life insurers partner with employers of all sizes to lift administrative burdens while giving workers access to the financial protection tools they need, including paid leave, life insurance, disability coverage and retirement savings. For example, the ability to offer paid leave ensures workers don’t have to choose between caring for a loved one and earning a paycheck and helps employers recruit and retain the workforce they need. It’s why life insurers are working to expand paid leave coverage in states and in Washington. Together, the public and private sector can power the modern workforce. Learn more here.     Follow us on Twitter Sophie Gardner @sophie_gardnerj   Follow us

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