ACOG Applauds Senate for Advancing Maternal Health Bill

S.1112 to fund maternal mortality review committees to help reverse the rising U.S. maternal mortality rate

Washington, DC—Lisa Hollier, M.D., president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), issued the following statement regarding today’s vote out of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) on S. 1112, the Maternal Health Accountability Act:

“ACOG applauds the Senate HELP Committee for advancing S. 1112, the Maternal Health Accountability Act, this afternoon and for taking a significant step toward fighting maternal mortality and improving maternal health, particularly for black women who die at a much higher rate than white women.

“This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Shelley Moore-Capito (R-WV), will help reverse our country’s rising maternal mortality rate by assisting states to establish or improve multidisciplinary committees that will track, analyze and identify local solutions to prevent maternal deaths. These are known as maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs).

“Advancement of this bill shows leadership in addressing this public health crisis. Speaking on behalf of the nation’s ob-gyns—the leading providers of health care for women—we are grateful for this important, first step in ending preventable maternal mortality.

“I also want to extend a special thank you to Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Patty Murray for raising the funding level available for these state MMRCs from $7 million to $12 million each year for five years. This increased investment will allow the CDC to robustly support state MMRCs so they can provide a comprehensive picture of why these deaths are occurring, and come up with actionable solutions.

“After more than a year of raising public awareness and advocating on the Hill, it is exciting to finally see real progress being made on important legislation that has the ability to improve the health of women in this country.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 58,000 members, ACOG strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care. Not all of our members provide abortions, but all of our members know that facts are important when it comes to the provision and regulation of health care for women. www.acog.org