WHAMglobal Participates in U.S. Birth Summit IV

Over 150 leaders met in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from March 30 to April 2 to envision an equitable maternity care system. The Jewish Healthcare Foundation and WHAMglobal were among the sponsors of the U.S. Birth Summit IV, created and organized by the University of British Columbia and its Birth Place Lab. A Pittsburgh delegation — including maternal and child health thought leaders that represent community-support organizations, an independent midwifery group, a reproductive health service organization, and a major regional system — joined the Summit to shape this new vision.

"The U.S. Birth Summit will contribute to WHAMglobal's approach moving forward," said Kate Dickerson, women's health specialist at WHAMglobal. "We are fortunate to have amazing, collaborative organizations in Pittsburgh and throughout Pennsylvania committed to addressing our shared responsibility in the inequities that exist in our communities and systems. We are dedicated to working together to create safer maternity care for all."

Using a proven model for transdisciplinary engagement, the Summit had delegates from 12 different perspectives — consumers, community health, service providers, consumer advocates, innovative models of care, health systems, health policy and law, research, payment reform, health professional educators, health administration, and quality and safety — co-create an implementation strategy. The goal was to ensure that evidence-based resources, and best practice models, become standards of care across the United States.

Summit participants arrived at a strategy that used a reproductive justice framework, with best practices and accountability tools for the entire healthcare system.

To achieve these goals, delegates created concrete action plans and have been submitting materials and links to existing tools, resources, and models to the Birth Place Lab. A listing appears on its website here.

WHAMglobal is part of the workforce development and health equity curricula development task forces. It will continue to be an active participant in this national delegation of maternal and child health leaders from across the country.