Pa. will require hospitals to track pregnancy and birth-related health complications

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Department of Health will soon be required to track the health issues that mothers go through during pregnancy and birth, as part of an effort to address the state’s high maternal death rates.

The General Assembly sent a bill to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk last week that would require the Department of Health to list “severe maternal morbidity” on death certificates and hospital discharges.

Severe maternal morbidity is any long- or short-term health problem that results from being pregnant or giving birth. This differs from maternal mortality, which is when a person dies during pregnancy or from pregnancy-related complications.

The United States has long had the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries, and Black people are four times more likely than white people to die of pregnancy-related causes. The death of 32-year-old Olympic track star Tori Bowie during childbirth this month was the latest high-profile example of a healthy Black woman dying due to complications while giving birth.

Rep. Morgan Cephas (D., Philadelphia), who championed the bill in the state House, said it’s a good first step toward addressing Black maternal mortality and morbidity.

“There’s not one singular thing we need to do to tackle the issue, it’s multi-layer,” Cephas said, adding that data will help inform future policies.

The state legislation comes as Philadelphia is also taking steps to gather more data about maternal health. Health officials announced in April that the city would be the first in the United States to require hospitals to share detailed information about pregnancy, delivery, and the parent’s health for patients who experience serious childbirth complications.

More people died from pregnancy complications in Philadelphia from 2013-2018 than the national rate, according to a city review of its maternal mortality data. Black people in Philadelphia were particularly affected, accounting for 73% of pregnancy-related deaths over the five-year span despite only making up 43% of births.

If Shapiro signs the state maternal morbidity bill into law, a Maternal Mortality Review Committee created in 2018 would work with the Department of Health to track annual maternal morbidity rates.

Lawmakers hope that the data will offer a new perspective on maternal health.

Saleemah McNeil, the founder and executive director of Oshun Family Center in Jenkintown, which serves mostly Black families seeking health care, said it’s important for the state to track these “near misses” — when a person has a traumatic pregnancy or birth experience, but survives.

“When we include what are considered ‘near misses,’ we give opportunities to take a more comprehensive look at maternal health,” McNeil added.

McNeil also curates the Maternal Wellness Village, a community of birth professionals working to improve the standards of care for obstetric patients.

“Institutionalized systemic racism is at the forefront of lots of things that happen in terms of Black morbidity and mortality,” McNeil said. “We look at services we can give people and changes we can make within the institution and within the system.”

Shapiro will sign the bill, a spokesperson said.

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R., Lehigh), who helped create the state’s mortality review committee, voiced his support of the latest proposal on the House floor last week.

“We know that there are lots of complications, but we know that there are appropriate solutions out there to many of these problems,” Mackenzie said. “If we can address them with the underlying data at hand, figure out where the problems are, and put forward adequate solutions, we can protect these women and make sure that their children have a mother going forward.”

Cephas first became interested in maternal mortality and morbidity at a roundtable event with U.S. Sen. Bob Casey where a woman asked about maternal mortality rates. After investigating, she discovered one of her constituents died at 34 due to a pregnancy-related complication.

From there, she learned Black women are more likely to die from pregnancy-related symptoms, and she began creating policy around the issue.

“During elections, there’s always a conversation about Black women being the foundation of the Democratic Party, but sometimes when Democrats get elected to get into office, there’s really no follow up, and their agenda doesn’t reflect our issues,” Cephas said. “This is a very significant issue and challenge we should be addressing.”

Cephas and other lawmakers in Harrisburg have already worked to expand care for parents and pregnant people. Just last year, the General Assembly expanded Medicaid coverage to include one year postpartum, based on Maternal Mortality Review Committee recommendations.

DaniRae Renno is an intern with the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents’ Association.