WHAT:
The Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), held a hearing to review a new discussion draft of H.R. 1318, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2017, authored by Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO). The discussion draft would create a new grant opportunity for eligible entities to help enhance and improve reporting of maternal health outcomes.
WHY:
“All too often do we read about stories of seemingly healthy pregnant women who are thrilled to be having a child, and to everyone’s surprise, suffers severe complications, or death during pregnancy, birth, or post-partum. The death of a new or expecting mother is a tragic event that devastates everyone involved, but in many cases these are preventable scenarios," said #SubHealth Chairman Burgess. “This is an issue that we cannot solve without accurate data. There were great efforts in our nation to address maternal and infant mortality in the first half of the 20th Century, and the data showed that those efforts were successful. Yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. maternal mortality rate was 7.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1999, and increased to 18 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2014."
WHO:
* Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Member, U.S. House of Representatives. (Opening Statement )
* Charles S. Johnson, IV., Founder, 4Kira4Moms. (Opening Statement )
* Stacey D. Stewart, President, March of Dimes. (Opening Statement )
* Lynne Coslett-Charlton, M.D., Pennsylvania District Legislative Chair, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (Opening Statement )
* Joia Crear Perry, M.D., Founder and President, National Birth Equity Collaborative. (Opening Statement )
KEY MOMENTS:
“Although the assumption is often that a nation with some of the most advanced obstetric and emergency care would also demonstrate low maternal mortality rates, tragically, an estimated 700 - 900 maternal deaths occur in the U.S. every year," said Rep. Herrera Beutler. “As a mother, a citizen, and a lawmaker, I believe that we can and must do better. It is time for this to become a national priority, which is why I am proud to speak in support of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act. This legislation would enable states to establish or strengthen maternal mortality review committees. MMRCs bring together local experts in maternal, infant, and public health to review each and every instance of a pregnancy-related or pregnancy-associated death in order to understand what went wrong and how to save future mothers’ lives."
“On April 12, 2016 my life partner, my best friend and amazing Mom, Kira lost her life after a routine scheduled c-section at Cedars Sinai delivering our 2nd son, Langston Johnson," said Charles Johnson IV. “I vowed that I would take this tragedy and turn it into a mission fueled by the memory of Kira and the passion she brought to life every day. I have taken my grief and found peace by tirelessly working on maternal health and maternal outcomes."
RESOURCES:
The Majority Memorandum, witness testimony, and an archived webcast are available online HERE.
