U.S. House Passes Landmark Legislation to Prevent Maternal Deaths

Washington, DC—Lisa Hollier, M.D., MPH, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), issued the following statement regarding the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 1318, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act:

“The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for making the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act a priority and unanimously passing this landmark legislation before the year’s end. The passage of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act has been a long-held goal for ACOG and is a crucial step to reversing our country’s rising maternal mortality rate. No more pregnant and postpartum women should die from preventable causes.

“The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act authorizes federal funding for multidisciplinary entities known as maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) that review individual cases of maternal death. MMRCs are key to developing locally relevant strategies to eliminate maternal mortality.

“ACOG extends our deep appreciation to bill sponsors, Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Ryan Costello (R-PA), and the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Chair Michael Burgess, MD, FACOG, for working tirelessly to advance this bill. We also acknowledge the tremendous efforts of our member ob-gyns who spent their personal time advocating on Capitol Hill, as well as the 90 partner organizations that shared our commitment to reduce maternal mortality in the United States.

“Congress’ work is not yet done. We call on the U.S. Senate to swiftly pass this bipartisan legislation and send the bill to the president’s desk for enactment. America’s moms can’t wait.”

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. www.acog.org