U.S. maternal deaths are on a problematic trajectory. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that mortality rose from 861 maternal deaths in 2020 to 1,205 maternal deaths in 2021, a 40% overall increase. Maternal mortality rates in the U.S. are, shockingly, at their highest level since 1965.

The maternal health crisis is particularly devastating for Black women, Native women, and women in rural communities, who all experience maternal mortality and morbidity at significantly higher rates than their white and urban counterparts. Black women in the U.S. are disproportionately affected, being 2.6 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to white women. Factors contributing to this crisis include health care access problems, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias. Addressing these issues is crucial to improving maternal health outcomes and reducing disparities.

Advocates for Community Health (ACH) is holding a virtual congressional briefing on July 24, 2024 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, in collaboration with the Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus and the Maternity Care Caucus. Titled “Bump, Baby, and Beyond: How Health Centers Provide Comprehensive Maternal Care,” this briefing aims to educate members of Congress and staff on the pivotal role federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) play in enhancing access to maternal health in rural and underserved communities. (Note – this event was originally scheduled to be in person but was changed due to heightened security measures on Capitol Hill).

The Role of Health Centers in Maternal Health

Community health centers (CHCs) serve over 31.5 million patients, including 9.6 rural residents in the U.S. annually. 90% of CHC patients have incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level, and 63% of patients identify as racial/ethnic minorities.

CHCs provide person-centered, comprehensive, and culturally competent primary care to all patients, regardless of a person’s ability to pay. They serve maternal health patients across the continuum of care, including prenatal services, labor and delivery, and postpartum services. CHCs must provide primary health services, including prenatal and perinatal, preventive screenings, emergency medical services, well-child visits, and voluntary family planning services.

Health centers screen patients for health-related social needs, including food insecurity and transportation access. They are required to provide non-clinical services that often improve health and quality of life, serving patients where they are needed most, including via telehealth, home visits, and mobile units. Health centers are having a positive impact on maternal health crises. They have contributed to reducing the percentage of low or very-low-weight births for Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic patients, compared to the national average. In summary, if community health centers did not offer access to prenatal care, the maternal health crisis would worsen, leading to more women dying.

Congress Can Improve the Maternal Health Crisis with Swift Action

Four out of five pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable. ACH and its health center members are calling on Congress to support three pieces of legislation to expand maternal health care at health centers.

1. Increase Funding for the Community Health Center Program
ACH asks Congress to increase sustainable and flexible funding for the Health Center Program through its #CHCInvest campaign. This funding helps health centers fulfill their mission in the following ways:

• Expand access to health care – Allow funding for CHCs to reach the community via mobile health units, extended hours, and other flexible models of care.
• Build health centers infrastructure – Ensures coordinated care via IT capabilities, training, and enhancing partnerships.
• Grow the health center workforce – Builds, expands and diversifies the maternal health and rural workforce to continue providing comprehensive care throughout all stages of maternal health care.
• Allow for innovation – Flexible funds allow health centers to expand telehealth and value-based care to improve maternal health outcomes by addressing patient’s unique and underlying health-related social needs.

2. Require HRSA to Create Obstetric Networks in Rural Areas
ACH also calls on Congress to support the Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services (MOMs) Act. Sponsored by Senator Tina Smith (D-NM), the Rural MOMs Act addresses maternal health in rural areas and requires the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish rural obstetric networks to foster collaboration and improve maternal and birth outcomes. Health centers are partly funded by HRSA as authorized by Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act.

3. Empower CHCs to Establish Transformative Local Grants
ACH is asking Congress to support the Health Center Community Transformation Hub Act, which is sponsored by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and co-sponsored by Reps. Troy A. Carter (LA- 02), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Nanette D. Barragan (CA-44), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Gwen Moore (WI-04), and Barbara Lee (CA-12).

The Health Center Community Transformation Hub Act empowers CHCs by creating local grants that allow them to know their community best and set up networks with local community-based organizations to address their patients’ health-related social needs.

Advocates for Community Health and its members are committed to reducing and preventing rising maternal mortality rates and addressing health inequities by meaningfully impacting federal policy.

Please download our Maternal Health at FQHCs Fact Sheet and contact us at info@advocatesforcommunityhealth.org to learn how to get involved.