INDUSTRY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Where Advocacy and Medical Technologies Intersect: Improving the Path Forward for Equity in Maternal Infant Care
By: GE HealthCare
The journey to motherhood should be safe for all. However, maternal mortality rates, especially among Black women, remain alarmingly high in the US1. Many doctors and researchers acknowledge various factors that may drive racial disparity in maternal mortality rates, including differences in socioeconomic status, access to care, and implicit bias. According to a 2021 CDC report, Black women in labor and delivery have a 2.5x higher mortality rate than white women. 1 The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries, and trending negatively. In 2021, the rate was 89% higher than the rate in 20181.
Despite these alarming statistics, there is hope, as more than 80 percent of these deaths are preventable2. To help drive change and awareness, many industry leaders, including GE HealthCare, seek to address these issues we face by working with legislators and key opinion leaders to innovate, advocate, and prevent maternal deaths.
Industry Partner Advocacy Highlight
Empowering Mothers and Providers, Improving Outcomes: GE HealthCare’s Top 3 Commitments to Maternal Health in 2024
Since December 2021 when the Biden Harris Administration announced a call to action on the maternal health crisis in the United States, GE HealthCare has engaged in conversations with HHS and on Capitol Hill about their commitment to helping improve outcomes for the nation’s moms and babies and will continue to do so until outcomes improve meaningfully. From supporting organizations focused on research, training, and empowerment for maternal and infant care providers, to providing medical devices and technologies with unique capabilities that provide monitoring and postpartum care management – GE HealthCare aims to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality to address this important crisis, with 3 top 2024 highlights:
1. March 2024: Building on a strong legacy in medical technology, the company established the GE HealthCare Foundation to help advance equitable access to precision healthcare with an initial focus on improving maternal health outcomes globally. Through grants to organizations like the Urban Institute, LWALA, Community Alliance, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, and Project ECHO, the GE HealthCare Foundation is supporting research, training, and capacity building in maternal and infant care. These initiatives focus on addressing disparities, improving access to care, and empowering healthcare providers.
2. May 2024: GE HealthCare participated in the inaugural Maternity Care Caucus Maternal Health Fair in Washington, D.C., furthering their commitment to advance maternal health equity. The event brought together researchers, clinicians, policy makers, industry professionals, and advocates dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes. The fair showcased industry-leading solutions in maternal health and provided an opportunity to discuss challenges in our care system with Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Maternity Care Caucus Co-Chair. Representative Kelly and other guests had the opportunity to demo GE HealthCare’s Mother Infant Care and Ultrasound technologies to see firsthand how these solutions can help support mothers and babies. This technology spans across the entirety of a mother’s perinatal care journey, including:
Congresswoman Robin Kelly said of the event, “I am proud of the bipartisan legislation I have already led to improve maternal health outcomes, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and Latino women who face dire disparities. No matter what part of the country we represent, every member of Congress represents constituents who need a safe, secure environment in which to give birth. I am glad to lead the Maternity Care Caucus with Congresswoman Kim to continue to advocate for mothers and babies in the House.”
3. October 2024: A new and long anticipated inaugural event this year held in Atlanta, GA was the NotOnMyWatch Conference led by founder, Rose Horton, MSM, RNC-OB, NEA-BC, FAAN. The concept for the movement and annual conference originated when Horton, a nursing leader, felt her frustration rising with the growing number of cases of maternal morbidity and mortality. She created the hashtag #notonmywatch to galvanize nurses – the frontline providers and largest healthcare employee contingent – to make the difference in their patients’ lives and change the trajectory of this alarming trend. This year, GE HealthCare came alongside this event to help elevate the awareness of this crisis and help solve this problem through creative technologies and solutions. GE HealthCare’s Kendra Singh, U.S. Marketing Director, was on-site engaging with healthcare leaders to explore how GE HealthCare can support meaningful change in this critical area. “It is extremely important for us as a healthcare company to ensure we are right alongside the clinical thought leaders, listening, collaborating, and taking action to not only help with the current state, but figure out what we can do to help the future. That is why we are here,” said Singh. Rose is actively working to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality — a mission that reflects both her passion and her life’s work. Her efforts are driving progress and inspiring forward movement in this space. Also in attendance at the conference were other key thought leaders, including Dr. Joy Baker, a Board-Certified OBGYN and CEO of Delivering JoyMD, who is known as a ‘Maternal Mortality Warrior.’ Dr. Baker emphasized the need for honest discussions, stating, “We have to get comfortable having some uncomfortable conversations and talk about the data as it relates to how we become accountable for the outcomes of these patients.”
The responsibility of innovation and technology
These 2024 efforts build on lasting partnerships and a long legacy of more than 60 years in the perinatal monitoring and software solutions industry. GE Healthcare continues to be a part of the solution by creating innovative technologies to improve the path forward in maternal equity. Technological advancement helps make processes simple and more efficient for hospital staff, and GE HealthCare has a unique opportunity to provide resources to specifically help patients in need. Horton agrees, “What I love about GE HealthCare’s digital perinatal solutions is that it brings all relevant data together and you’re making decisions based on data, which helps take out that variability. And I think it will lead to really great outcomes.”
This means digital perinatal surveillance, like Centricity Perinatal Software, offered by GE Healthcare can give clinicians access to all the data needed to help deliver better care to patients in real time. This data helps them improve decision making and simplify workflows, allowing care teams to spend time where it matters most, with mom, baby and family. This supports hospital systems that may have high turnover, travel nurses, and new hires with less experience, and helps to ensure that all patients are receiving the same consistent monitoring.
Everyone can make a difference
While there is a long way to go in solving the maternal health crisis, there’s a path forward for all to take. “I think it’s essential for healthcare technology solution manufacturers to start by addressing the challenges related to implicit bias, then work toward resolving the identified health disparities and ultimately promote awareness to further advance health equity.” said Melissa Martin, MSN, MBA, RN, Managing Director for Patient Care Solutions Digital at GE HealthCare. “GE HealthCare prides itself on delivering solutions that can make a positive impact for all patients. Because our products serve patients in the moments that matter most, it makes sense that we—as manufacturers—lead by example to help provide access to not only care but unbiased care at that.” Horton agrees, “We’re working collaboratively for one goal and that is to have safer, thriving families, healthy babies, joyful births, equitable outcomes and I think we can do that if we come together.”
To learn more about how digital perinatal solutions from GE HealthCare can help support maternal safety initiatives, visit the web page.
To learn more about the GE HealthCare Foundation, visit: https://www.gehealthcare.com/foundation/maternal-health
References
- Hoyert DL. Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2021. NCHS Health E-Stats. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:124678.
- Negative Patient Descriptors: Documenting Racial Bias In The Electronic Health Record, HealthAffairs, JANUARY 19, 2022 https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01423
Enabling a better way to monitor moms and fetuses
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