Maternal health and safety
Prioritizing maternal health in Massachusetts
The Betsy Lehman Center partners with the Department of Public Health, MassHealth, patients, and other members of the health care community to forge solutions to disturbing trends in maternal health, particularly racial disparities in outcomes.
The Center is a member of the state’s Maternal Health Task Force, which is developing a maternal health strategic plan that is racial equity- and healing-centered. The Center also serves as the data custodian for the Perinatal-Neonatal Quality Improvement Network of Massachusetts (PNQIN), collecting and analyzing metrics on severe maternal morbidity, statewide levels of care, and safety bundles for the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM).
Safety bundles
Birthing hospitals use evidence-based toolkits to improve safety outcomes and reduce disparities in care. Topics include mental health, opioid use disorder, obstetric hemorrhage and more.
Morbidity data
The Center leads an effort to bring timely severe maternal morbidity data to maternal health providers in the Commonwealth, so they can identify cases in a timely manner for quality improvement.
Levels of care
Ensuring patients have access to and receive care at hospitals that can meet their needs.
Other work
Expanding doula support services in Massachusetts Read report
Patient and Family Engagement Survey Read report
News
APRIL 2025
Timely data contributes to maternal health safety goals, Betsy Lehman Center report shows
SEPTEMBER 2024
Initiative helps frontline providers address perinatal mental health
JANUARY 2024
The state’s first Assistant Commissioner for Health Equity lays out actions for improving maternal health
FEBRUARY 2023
‘Equity bundle’ aims to reduce racial and ethnic disparities for birthing families
OCTOBER 2023
Opioid use disorder increases risk for severe maternal morbidity regardless of race or ethnicity
JANUARY 2022
Massachusetts looks to doula support services to improve maternal care and birth outcomes