Article features Elizabeth Howell, MD, MPP, Heather Burris, MD, MPH, and Sindhu Srinivas, MD, MSCE.
Christina Hernandez Sherwood for Penn Medicine News: “The disparities are stark. Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women in the United States, which has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed country.
“For years, the University of Pennsylvania has been a leader in working to change that pattern — advancing the field of maternal health equity through widely-cited clinical research, innovative technology, and more. Now, a key national partnership will broaden Penn’s reach, making it a focal point for maternal health equity research and racial disparity solutions.
“In January, the University of Pennsylvania became home to the inaugural March of Dimes Research Center for Advancing Maternal Health Equity. Under the leadership of Elizabeth Howell, MD, MPP, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Perelman School of Medicine, the center will leverage Penn’s research, technology, and partnerships to address racial disparities in maternal health outcomes — both deaths and serious medical complications — in the United States.”