2021 Advocacy
congressional briefing on cultivating equitable and culturally congruent maternal healthcare: The kira Johnson & Perinatal workforce acts
tuesday, July 20th
12 PM-1:15 PM EST
In order to change the narrative of maternal health in the US, increasing access to maternity care, specifically culturally congruent maternity care and support is key. With more than ⅓ of birthing people living in maternity care deserts, it is imperative that the US invest in reaching birthing people in our country. Growing and diversifying the perinatal workforce will provide funding to increase the number of maternal health care providers but also equip them to be able to provide culturally congruent care to the community they are serving.
Another aspect of this is that there are local organizations across the country that are working tirelessly to provide services to birthing people with limited resources. Making investments in community-based organizations that are leading the charge to support moms provides them with the financial resources to continue serving their communities. In addition, supporting bias and racism training programs can add another layer to ensuring providers are practicing culturally congruent care. Lastly, promoting compliance and accountability programs in maternity care settings across the country can influence comprehensive, thorough care to birthing people across the US.
The Kira Johnson Act and Perinatal Workforce Act can assist in accomplishing the goals needed to begin working towards ending the maternal health crisis by making investments into both community based organizations and perinatal workforce workers. This virtual briefing will feature insights from congressional members and maternal health care experts about the importance of policies and programs to best support and serve birthing people across the nation.
