US Edition‘Making things more accessible’: How DC plans to improve Black maternal health
- On April 30, 2025, Cedar Hill Hospital opened in Washington DC providing the first labor and delivery services east of the Anacostia River in nearly a decade.
- This opening addresses the lack of maternity care access in Ward 7 and Ward 8, areas identified as maternity deserts with high Black maternal mortality rates.
- Healthcare experts stress that accessible facilities, diverse staff, and patient-provider connection are essential to improving Black maternal health outcomes.
- A University of Maryland-led study found Black and Hispanic mothers pay 74% more out-of-pocket for prenatal care, with 50% still paying medical bills one year postpartum.
- The hospital opening and ongoing policy efforts indicate steps toward improving access but highlight continued financial and systemic barriers in maternal healthcare.
21 Articles
21 Articles
kffhealthnews.org
Fate of Black Maternal Health Programs Is Unclear Amid Federal Cuts
Eboni Tomasek expected to take home her newborn the day after he was born in a San Jose hospital. But, without explanation, hospital staff said they needed to stay a second night. Then a third. A nurse said her son had jaundice. Then said that he didn’t. She wondered if they had confused her with another African American mother. In any event, why couldn’t she and the baby boy she’d named Ezekiel go home? No one would say. “I asked like three tim…
The price of pregnancy: new study examines what race has to do with maternity costs
A study from the University of Maryland School of Public Health and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is shedding light on disparities in maternity care spending across racial and ethnic groups.The research, led by Rebecca Gourevitchassistant professor at the University of Maryland College Parkexamined over 87,000 pregnancies covered by private insurance. The study looked at costs from the start of pregnancy through six weeks postpartum.…
How Having a Baby Is Changing Under Trump
Mere hours after birth, most newborns are tested for two things: whether they have signs of hearing loss and whether they have any of a range of rare conditions that could severely impact their health and their lives. If they test positive for either, they qualify for a number of interventions that can dramatically improve their prospects over their lifetime. But both tests could soon undergo dramatic changes because of drastic cutbacks at feder…
Virginia Reproductive and Maternal Equity Summit addresses needs of maternal health in communities of color
RICHMOND, Va. The 2025 Virginia Reproductive and Maternal Equity Summit is on Thursday and with an alarming maternal mortality rate among Black women in the state the highest in the nation the summit aims to unite doctors, lawmakers and community leaders in a shared mission: to confront and reshape the landscape of maternal health for everyone, especially for those in marginalized communities.As reported by recent studies, the statistics surroun…
Times-Herald
The ReporterVacaville, Vallejo, Kaiser hospitals named among tops for maternity care
Kaiser Permanente medical centers in Vacaville, Vallejo — and 10 other locations in Northern California — have been cited by Newsweek magazine’s list of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2025, it has been announced. The 12 hospitals, from Santa Rosa and San Francisco to Roseville and San Jose, were recognized for providing, safe, compassionate, exceptional care to parents and their newborns, Jordan Scott, a senior media relations representativ…
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