U.S. women face the highest rates of avoidable maternal mortality compared to any other developed country, according to a recent study, and are less likely to have a regular doctor or and more likely to encounter problems paying medical bills.
Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, Medical Director of Quality at Ochsner Health Women’s Services, can speak to the critical need for equitable access to healthcare – before, during, and after pregnancy – as well as the disproportionate impact this has had on Black women, who are nearly three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than White women.