By Lauren Carr
Strategic Manager, Policy & Government Affairs
On September 28, EmblemHealth hosted an educational webinar on Black maternal health, providing education and actionable tips for individuals and their loved ones to use throughout their pregnancy journeys.
To address this timely and critical issue, we were honored to receive support from New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Assemblymember Michaelle Solages.
“For birthing people across New York City, particularly Black women, maternal health is a matter of life and death,” said Speaker Adams. “Each loss represents a mother, a family, and a community devastated by preventable trauma and pain. There is still much more work to be done, but I am hopeful that through continued public education and discussions, we will galvanize the support to enact the necessary investments and reforms at all levels of government. Thank you to EmblemHealth for hosting this important webinar on Black Maternal Health.”
“Systematic racism, implicit bias, lack of affordable child care, and barriers to other essential services are a few of the many significant factors fueling disparities in maternal health care among Black women,” said Assemblymember Solages. “I’m proud to stand with EmblemHealth in support of prioritizing and amplifying the voices of Black women — helping to ensure that they have joy and health in birth.”
Rise lead, Nicole Browne-Jones, Director, Ops Quality & Learning, guided the discussion with our expert panelists: Dr. Michele Germain, OB/Gyn; and Jacqueline Prince-Espinosa, AVP, Medicaid Product Strategy, as they discussed clinical risk factors, coping, and more.