Notre Dame Student Policy Network Focus on Chicago’s Maternal Mortality and Health Disparities
Last January, the Student Policy Network at the University of Notre Dame contacted us to see if we were interested in collaborating to create a helpful deliverable to share to progress conversations or policies surrounding an issue we felt was necessary.
Our answer was an enthusiastic yes.
The group’s co-leader, Sisy Chen, met with Ariel Swift and Katie Erdman from Birth Center of Chicago to discuss. We reviewed the current environment birth centers were a part of in Illinois, ongoing efforts by birth workers to expand access and change state laws, and some ideas about how to focus their research on topics that need, in our opinion, more widespread attention.
The 10-person group went to work. Between January and the beginning of April, these students dug into current research that reviewed Maternal Mortality in the US, Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in Chicago, and Determinants of Poor outcomes. They extended their work to include an analysis of obstetric vs. midwifery-led care models and possible ways health insurance contributes to the current landscape.
To round off their work, they also gave policy recommendations in hopes of galvanizing more change. This week, this group came to Chicago and presented their paper.
Here is a list of their main Policy Recommendations:
Advocate for an automatic extension of reproductive care coverage under Medicaid to individuals who qualified for care during their pregnancy; i.e., eliminating the application process required to transition from Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility to Moms & Babies.
Partner with local nonprofits and advocacy interest groups to reach and extend care to pregnant individuals belonging to marginalized communities, or who otherwise face barriers to traditional engagement with governmental resources.
Encourage additional training on cultural competency, active antiracism, and implicit bias for designated patient advocates (primarily doulas and labor nurses).
Engage with private insurance providers to advocate for expanding coverage for pregnant individuals beyond traditional obstetric services (e.g. birth centers, midwives, doulas, etc.)
To see the full presentation, link through below.
Thank you to the University of Notre Dame and the Student Policy Network for engaging with us and creating inspired students interested in taking action for positive change in the world. And a special thank you to those who worked on this project directly: Elaine Carrol, Emily Collins, Jake Harris, Zoe Jensen, Matt Kraft, Bridget Newell, Linh Oliver, Aubry Schweiner, Kathryn Strimbu, Madeline Petrikas, and Sisy Chen.