Please join our collaborative organized to share strategies and move towards
action to improve maternal health outcomes for communities of color, with a
focus on health disparities rooted in social determinants of health (SDOHs)
and systemic racism in medicine.

To sign up to join the Collaborative and receive more information, complete this short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PAMaternalHealth 

Maternal mortality (the deaths of individuals born female during or after pregnancy) is devastating because 80% are preventable. While the rates of maternal mortality for all racial and ethnic groups in the US has decreased since 2020, disparities persist for Black women. In 2022, there were 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women, compared with 19 deaths per 100,000 for White women, 16.9 per 100,000 for Hispanic women and 13.2 per 100,000 for Asian women. In Pennsylvania the rate for Black women rises to 163 per 100,000 live births. Attendees at the April 2024 Healthy Equity Summit sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Office of Health Equity (PDOH/OHE) discussed challenges and expressed interest in staying connected for continued learning and collaboration.That meeting inspired us to create this group. Since April, a small team has been convening informally to plan this work, including the Family Medicine Education Consortium (FMEC), PDOH/OHE, Latino Connection, the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women, the Governor's Advisory Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, Penn State Health Health Equity Program and the National Hispanic Medical Association Pennsylvania Chapter.

June 13, 2025
Agenda
Meeting Recording
PA Maternal Health Collaborative Infographic 

• About the PA Maternal Health Collaborative, Sarah Inez Ramirez, MD
• Pennsylvania Perinatal Partnership, Shannon Criniti, PhD, MPH, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, AccessMatters
• PRISM Doula/Lactation Support Program for State Corrections, Gerria Coffee, Founder/CEO, Genesis Birth Services/PRISM Program/PA Doula Commission
• Update on Maternal Health Statewide Strategic Plan Update: Status and How to Get Involved, Sara Goulet, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

March 7, 2025 Meeting
Agenda
Meeting Notes
Meeting Recording

• Introductory Slides – Sarah Inés Ramírez, MD
• Once Upon a Preemie, Inc., Jenne Johns, MPH, President
• Maternal Health Statewide Strategic Plan, Sara Goulet, Special Advisor, Office of the Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services - DHS Perinatal and Parenting Support Programs

December 6, 2024 Meeting
Agenda
Meeting Recording

• Introductory Slides – Sarah Inés Ramírez, MD
• Mothers You Are Not Alone (MYANA), Tamar Krishnamurti, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh - Tamar Krishnamurti, PhD Slides
• Health, Education and Legal Assistance Project: A Medical-Legal Partnership (HELP:MLP), Shannon Mace, JD, MPH, Executive Director – Shannon Mace, JD, MPH Slides

September 18, 2024 Kick-off Meeting
Agenda
Meeting Recording

• Introductory Slides – Sarah Inés Ramírez, MD
• IMPLICIT Network (Interventions to Minimize Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants using Continuous Quality Improvement Techniques) - Mario DeMarco, MD, Project Director, IMPLICIT, Associate Professor of Clinical Family Medicine and Community Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania – Mario Demarco, MD Slides
• Philly Joy Bank - Nia Coaxum, MPH, Steering Committee Co-Chair – Nia Coaxum, MPH Slides

Breakout Group Notes

For questions
Sarah Inés Ramírez, MD, FAAFP, Penn State Health Hershey Med Center, FMEC Board Member, [email protected]
Scott G. Allen, MS, CEO, Family Medicine Education Consortium, [email protected]