The statistics are sobering. Despite spending more than any other country on maternity care, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world. CDC data shows in 2021, 1,205 women died of maternal causes in the United States, up 40 percent from the prior year.
Black women are disproportionately affected. Non-Hispanic Black mothers are 2.6 times more likely than non-Hispanic white mothers to die from a pregnancy-related complication.
Black Maternal Health Week at UMass Chan Medical School aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by Black pregnant people and the importance of addressing disparities in maternal health care.
Cherise Hamblin, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics & gynecology, is the director of URiM community workforce development and capacity building for UMass Chan’s Collaborative in Health Equity, which is hosting several events for UMass Chan and its clinical partner, UMass Memorial Health.
“This week of programming is really a coalescing of many departments and many facets of the Medical School and the health system,” Dr. Hamblin said.
At a glance |
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On Thursday, April 11, the International Day for Maternal Health and Rights, there will be two events: a Wellness Fair hosted by the Office of Well-Being in the Albert Sherman Center Multi-Purpose Room from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the inaugural Health Equity Distinguished Lecture presented by Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, PhD, MPH, the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Amutah-Onukagha will deliver the talk “Black Women and Maternal Health Disparities: Addressing the Role of Racism” at noon in the Albert Sherman Center Auditorium. This talk can also be viewed on Zoom.
Another marquee event is the Community Baby Shower that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is hosting with the Glō Mom Initiative on Saturday, April 13, from noon to 3:30 p.m. in the Albert Sherman Center Multi-Purpose Room. This event connects women in need with subject matter experts on prenatal care, lactation, childbirth, exercise, nutrition and postpartum health. Donated baby items that will be distributed to families in need at the shower can be purchased through an Amazon Wish List. Gently used maternity clothing can be dropped off in bins across campus.
The week concludes with a virtual Grand Rounds presentation by Hamblin on Wednesday, April 17, at 7 a.m. titled “Black Women Aren’t Broken.”
“I’ll be talking about the health care workforce,” Hamblin said. “Fundamental to my view of things is who is doing the care matters. It’s not only that Black people need to be cared for by Black doctors. It is that if we understand the lack of diversity in health fields is the result of racism, then we can approach things in a different way.”
Hamblin is the medical director for the Doula Program at UMass Memorial Medical Center. She talks about that program and Black Maternal Health Week in a Voices of UMass Chan podcast that will publish on Wednesday, April 3.
Anyone interested in volunteering to staff Black Maternal Health Week events can sign up here.
Full events schedule
Note: Zooms/Teams links will be provided after the registration forms are filled out.
April 11
Wellness Fair
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Albert Sherman Center Multi-Purpose Room
Health Equity Distinguished Lecture: “Black Women and Maternal Health Disparities: Addressing the Role of Racism
Speaker: Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, PhD, MPH, the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine
Noon
Albert Sherman Center Auditorium and on Zoom
Register
April 12
Pediatric Grand Rounds: “Addressing Racial Disparities in Breastfeeding”
Speaker: Margaret G. Parker, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics and academic chief of the Neonatology Division at UMass Chan and UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center
8 a.m.
Zoom
Register
April 13
Community Baby Shower
Noon to 3:30 p.m.
Albert Sherman Center Multi-Purpose Room
Register
April 16
From Awareness to Action: What Is the State of Black Maternal Health in Worcester?
9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Worcester City Hall, 455 Main St., Worcester, and virtually
April 17
OB/GYN Grand Rounds: “Black Women Aren’t Broken”
Speaker: Cherise Hamblin, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics & gynecology and director of URiM community workforce development and capacity building for UMass Chan’s Collaborative in Health Equity
7 a.m.
Zoom
Register
