Maternal Health and Safety

PNQIN logo

The Betsy Lehman Center is working to advance maternal health and safety with the Perinatal-Neonatal Quality Improvement Network of Massachusetts (PNQIN), a voluntary collaboration of hospitals, health care providers, public health officials, community organizations and families. PNQIN aims to improve maternal health outcomes while prioritizing health equity. It is founded on the need to provide the safest and highest quality health care for mothers and babies in Massachusetts, and focuses on sharing information and best practices.

The Betsy Lehman Center serves as the data custodian for PNQIN, collecting and analyzing key metrics on maternal health for two initiatives described below: AIM and LOCATe.

Propublica mortality rates

Mater­nal mor­bid­i­ty and mor­tal­i­ty rates in the US and Mass­a­chu­setts are rising

Unlike other developed nations where maternal deaths are declining, maternal deaths in the U.S. increased from 2000 to 2014. In an analysis by the CDC Foundation, nearly 60 percent of such deaths were preventable.

Source: ProPublica

2017 MA State Health Assessment 01

Racial dis­par­i­ties in pre­na­tal care persist

From 2012-2014, the percentage of women receiving adequate prenatal care declined in all racial and ethnic groups. The largest decline occurred among Black non-Hispanic mothers.

Source: 2017 Massachusetts State Health Assessment

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Webinars and town halls

We partner with organizations across the state to host virtual events that share best practices in maternal health and safety

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Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health

AIM works to align national, state and hospital quality improvement efforts. We are working with AIM to measure severe maternal morbidity rates in Massachusetts.

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Levels of Care Assessment Tool

This tool is being implemented across the state to ensure women and infants receive care at a facility that aligns with their risk.

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