The West Steps

Now is the time to improve maternal health care in Colorado

March 18, 2022 Colorado Children's Campaign Season 4 Episode 9
The West Steps
Now is the time to improve maternal health care in Colorado
Show Notes

 The U.S is the only developed country with an increasing maternal mortality rate, and in Colorado, that rate has doubled since 2008. Additionally, longstanding discriminatory policies and practices have led to maternal mortality rates among birthing people of color and people using Medicaid that are significantly higher than the mortality rates seen amongst birthing people who are white, or using private insurance. These data make one thing clear: our current maternal health system is not only failing, but also leading to horrific, deadly outcomes. It is time that families, and especially birthing people, have access to systems that allow them agency over their birthing experiences, and high-quality care that helps their family thrive.  

Welcome back to The West Steps! This week, we have a full house discussing maternal health in Colorado with our guests, Erin Miller, Vice President of Health Initiatives at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; Indra Lusero, founder and director of Elephant Circle; and Kayla Frawley, Manager of Policy and Advocacy at Clayton Early Learning Centers. Our guests provide an overview of the current maternal health landscape in Colorado, including the policies that are taking steps to improve it. They also discuss the rising rate of home and community births, emphasizing the need to make midwifery more integrated in Colorado's maternal health care system. By creating accessible, culturally responsive options for birth settings, the state can better ensure more equitable birth outcomes.  In fact, birthing people across the state agree – systemic racism in birth settings is the number one issue that needs to be addressed by Colorado. This legislative session, HB22-128 – Cover All Coloradans -- hopes to take one step toward improving that. To learn more about this bill and how it would improve health care access for birthing people who are undocumented, click here

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