Article features Elizabeth Howell, MD, MPP and Sindhu Srinivas, MD, MSCE.
Christina Hernandez Sherwood for Penn Medicine’s Service in Action site: “The approach to maternal health equity at Penn Medicine encompasses a unified effort from across the University of Pennsylvania Health System, endorsed and supported as a system goal by its executive leaders, with participation from any and all departments that could potentially make an impact.
“This comprehensive undertaking involves not only a broad array of quality improvements and innovations in patient care, but also faculty research and community engagement. Some of the core principles underlying the efforts include standardizing patient care during key moments in pregnancy and childbirth to reduce opportunities for racial bias, and centering equity as a goal by targeting specific maternal health programs to historically underserved populations. More than just focusing on pregnancy and childbirth, the initiative aims to connect with pregnant people during this unique time of intensive medical care as a bridge across the continuum—aiming to keep them and their entire families connected to a lifetime of quality health care. And making a broader influence with these innovations is a primary goal, so not only Penn patients benefit, but also new parents and families across the city of Philadelphia, the region, and the U.S. as a whole.”