Laurie Zephyrin

2 weeks ago | commonwealthfund.org | Eugene Declercq |Marie E Thoma |Pooja Mehta |Laurie Zephyrin

At first glance, maternal deaths might appear to be a straightforward issue to quantify and measure. Deaths occurring at the time of birth in a hospital as a result of conditions clearly related to delivery, such as postpartum hemorrhage, are easy to classify as pregnancy-related.

Jun 7, 2024 | commonwealthfund.org | Laurie Zephyrin

Women in the communities most affected by maternal health disparities are rallying together to establish birth centers that offer safer systems of care Ensuring birth centers can thrive in all communities will require more collaboration between the public and private sectors to address funding issues, strengthen the midwifery workforce, overhaul payment, and build public trust and interest As evidence of maternal health disparities continue to mount, showing consistently higher rates of death...

Oct 27, 2023 | healthaffairs.org | Pooja Mehta |Laurie Zephyrin

Recent data indicate that the US is still lagging behind peer countries on maternal health and well-being, with comparatively worsened maternal mortality, preterm birth, chronic disease burden, and unaffordable health care costs among birthing people. Related inequities in severe maternal morbidity, preterm birth, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and postpartum readmission only tell part of the story.

Jul 20, 2023 | commonwealthfund.org | Laurie Zephyrin |Sara Rosenbaum |Josemiguel Rodriguez

While the case for race-conscious affirmative action in undergraduate admissions policies may have failed, the story is far different when it comes to medical education and health professions training. As a mountain of evidence makes clear, the argument for diversity in health care remains powerful. According to the decision handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v.