Multi-Stakeholder Engagement with State Policies to Advance Antiracism in Maternal Health (MEND)

Principal Investigator:
Sarah Garrett, PhD | UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies

Background

Black women and birthing people experience maternal mortality, morbidity, and preterm birth at higher rates than most other groups in the US. Researchers and policy-makers increasingly understand that racism and other biases within the healthcare system are important causes of these inequities. In 2019, California passed laws meant to reduce racial bias among healthcare providers (Senate Bill 464, Assembly Bill 241). This represents a historic opportunity to improve care for Black women and birthing people.

Objective

MEND is a cross-disciplinary project that has, under the guidance of and in collaboration with a community advisory panel: (1) Worked with legal scholars to interpret the history and content of the new laws. (2) Engaged Black women and birthing people and perinatal clinicians in the San Francisco Bay Area to learn how the laws can be implemented to fit their realities and priorities. And (3), with legal and community input, drafted evidence-based guidance for local and state implementation of the new laws.

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Peer-reviewed publications

Additional birth equity resources for patients, providers, and health system leaders

Facility IBT Planning Guide

Reports

Abstracts