CONVERGE is horrified and heartbroken to hear of the death of Tierra Walker, a 37 year old from San Antonio, Texas who died after being denied lifesaving abortion care. Tierra’s story is difficult for anyone to read, but we know it is especially painful for anyone who has experienced the same injustices Tierra and her family faced during her pregnancy.
Drs. Dara D. Méndez, Mehret Birru Talabi, and Hyagriv Simhan received the Maternal Health Research Center of Excellence from the NIH to lead a new effort to develop and evaluate innovative approaches to advance maternal and reproductive health and justice among Black people in Allegheny County.
Following the preventable deaths of two young women due to childbirth complications, two bereaved fathers galvanize activists, birth-workers and physicians to reckon with one of the most pressing American crises of our time—the US maternal health crisis.
Georgia's high maternal mortality rates disproportionately affect Black women, who are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to white women. Doulas play a crucial role in improving perinatal health and reducing these disparities, but accessibility to doulas is uncertain. Dr. Liz Mosley and her team conducted a community-engaged mixed methods study that revealed that doulas face challenges in building their businesses and reaching high risk community members.
The PA Maternal Mortality Report for 2021 was recently published. CONVERGE members who helped support this publication include Sonya Borrero, MD, MS, Dara Mendez, PhD, MPH, and Nancy Niemczyk, PhD, CNM.
