Alison Williams, vice president of Clinical Quality Improvement,
Missouri Hospital Association
Dear Editor:
There's no arguing with the Jan. 18 News Tribune editorial, "Missouri needs to improve maternal health." The good news is that stakeholders are expanding the tools and systems available to reduce harm during pregnancy and after.
Maternal mortality often occurs outside of the birthing unit, while illnesses related to pregnancy and childbirth - known as maternal morbidity - can extend well into the year after childbirth. Two statewide private-public sector initiatives, including the 2018 Missouri Maternal-Child Learning and Action Network and the 2019 AIM Collaborative, are at the center of these efforts. Both programs bring together experts in maternal health care to provide guidance and oversight to expand evidence-based practices in Missouri.
In research published by the Missouri Hospital Association in December, three clinical areas of change were identified, including eliminating avoidable delays in care, implementing evidence-based care and addressing bias. However, improvement requires more than just changes in health care. Reducing morbidity and mortality requires a wider focus on maternal health.
Making sure women have the best care, before and after birth, necessitates change - in health care and in our thinking about maternity.
We're making important progress in improving pregnancy-related care and sharing stories of community-based maternal health improvement programs to expand the reach of these successes. Together, these efforts are the key to safeguarding the health of Missouri's new and expecting mothers.