NY DOH Recognizes Black Maternal Health Week, Hosts Roundtable and Launches Social Media Campaign

New York State Department of Health Recognizes Black Maternal Health Week

Department Hosts Roundtable in Brooklyn to Discuss Critical Issues Facing Black Maternal Health

Department Launches Black Maternal Health Week Social Media Campaign, 'Healthy Mothers. Strong Communities'

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 13, 2026)– The New York State Department of Health recognized Black Maternal Health Week, April 11-17, by hosting a roundtable discussion today at Ancient Song Doula Services in Brooklyn. The event brought together health care providers, community leaders and policymakers to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities in improving maternal health outcomes for Black mothers and birthing people. In conjunction with the roundtable, the Department launched a social media campaign, " *Healthy Mothers. Strong Communities,"* which highlights the voices and experiences of Black mothers and families.

"Black Maternal Health Week is an important time to spotlight the challenges faced by Black mothers and birthing people, and to celebrate the strength of communities working to improve maternal health," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "We thank Governor Kathy Hochul for her continued commitment and comprehensive approach to improving maternal health outcomes across New York. By hosting this roundtable and launching the 'Healthy Mothers. Strong Communities' campaign, we aim to foster collaboration and raise awareness, so every person who gives birth has access to the care and support they deserve."

The roundtable focused on the critical issues affecting Black maternal health, including access to quality care, disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity, and the role of community-based support in promoting safe and positive birth experiences. Elected officials, OB/GYNs and midwives took part in the discussion , sharing insights, strategies and best practices aimed at ensuring equitable health outcomes for all mothers across New York State.

"We're excited to join our state partners in celebrating Black Maternal Health Week as far too many Black women face inequities in pregnancy-related health and mental health issues," New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said. "This is not only unacceptable, but, in most cases, preventable. That's why the 'Healthy Mothers. Strong Communities' campaign matters so much. Raising awareness and fighting for better maternal health outcomes for Black families isn't just important, it's vital."

"Every statistic on Black maternal health represents a story, a family, and a life that deserves care, dignity, and protection," Assemblymember Michaelle Solages said. "I am grateful to the New York State Department of Health and to Ancient Song Doula Services for bringing together healthcare leaders, advocates, and community voices to affirm what Black communities have always known: the solutions to the Black maternal health crisis must be rooted in community. Black women, doulas, and community leaders have long led the way in protecting and nurturing families, and it is past time that policy reflects that truth. In the Legislature, I remain committed to advancing policies that invest in community-based care and ensure that Black mothers across New York not only survive, but thrive."

"I am proud to stand with community leaders and providers at Ancient Song Doula Services who are advancing culturally competent, community-based care that saves lives," Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman said. "Black Maternal Health Week is a critical reminder that the disparities impacting Black mothers are not new, but they are unacceptable. We must continue to invest in solutions that center Black women, expand access to trusted care, and ensure that every mother is treated with dignity, respect, and the highest standard of care"

"Black Maternal Health Week is an important point of reflection, but in New York State it must also be a catalyst for deeper structural reform," Ancient Song Founder Chanel Portia-Albert said. "Although progress has been made through expanded postpartum coverage, paid prenatal leave, doula access, and targeted maternal health investments, persistent racial disparities make clear that policy change must go further. New York must continue to align its maternal health agenda with equity by investing in community-based models of care, strengthening accountability across hospitals and provider systems, and ensuring that Black mothers and birthing people are not only served, but protected, respected, and centered in the design of maternal health policy. Lasting progress will require coordinated, statewide commitment to systems transformation."

"The data are clear—and so is our responsibility to act through policy, investment and accountability," New York State Maternal Mortality Review Board Co-Chair, and NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Women's Health Officer Dr. Wendy Wilcox said. "Black mothers continue to face unacceptable risks, and closing these gaps requires sustained commitment to equitable access, expanded coverage, and care coordination, such as that provided by the NYC Health + Hospitals Maternal Home and community-based supports like doulas. Efforts like this reflect how policy and practice must align to ensure that safe, high-quality maternal care is not a privilege, but a guaranteed standard for every mother."

"Many causes of Maternal Mortality are preventable," New York State Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Advisory Council Chair Cheryl Hunter-Grant said. "Change happens when we "Hear Her" and come together to build systems that ensure healthy birth outcomes for all."

"Black Maternal Health Week is a call to action for informed decision-making. Community-centered models of care are essential for families and birth centers are a vital part of the perinatal health continuum," President of the American Association of Birth Centers Trinisha Williams said. " For many Black families, access to culturally responsive, community-based birth options can strengthen trust, reduce unnecessary intervention, and improve the overall experience of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care. If we are serious about advancing equity, we must ensure that Black birthing people have real choices—to access midwives in hospitals, birth centers, and homes that align with safety, accountability and respect."

With studies showing that Black mothers are four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White mothers in New York State, the Department has engaged in a multifaceted effort to eliminate inequities and improve outreach during pregnancy.

Governor Kathy Hochul led a statewide campaign to raise awareness of New York's first-in-the-nation paid prenatal leave policy, which took effect on January 1, 2025. The policy allows workers to take paid leave for any pregnancy-related medical appointments.

As part of her broader plan to improve maternal and infant mortality rates, Governor Hochul also established statewide Medicaid coverage for doulas, created the state's first doula directory to assist pregnant New Yorkers seeking support and has taken steps to eliminate cost-sharing for certain pregnancy-related benefits for those enrolled in the state's Essential Plan or Qualified Health Plans. She also allocated $4.5 million to support the state's Regional Perinatal Centers, which provide high-level perinatal and infant care throughout the state.

In 2024, New York Medicaid and Child Health Plus (CHPlus) extended the duration of postpartum health coverage from 60 days to a full year following pregnancy.

The Department's " Hear Her" campaign supports efforts to prevent pregnancy-related deaths by sharing potentially life-saving messages about "Urgent Maternal Warning Signs." The campaign also seeks to encourage everyone who supports pregnant and postpartum women to really listen when she tells you something doesn't feel right. This includes partners, friends, family, co-workers, and providers.

In 2010, New York State ranked 46th among states in maternal deaths. Since then, New York State has improved relative to other states. New York State is now ranked 19 th.

In collaboration with partners, the State Health Department is involved in a statewide effort to reduce the instances of maternal mortality and eliminate health disparities, while implementing several initiatives to reduce pregnancy-related deaths and improve health outcomes.

• The Maternal Mortality Review Board (MMRB) was established in 2019 to examine information related to pregnancy-related deaths and to issue findings and recommendations to advance the prevention of maternal mortality.
• The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Advisory Council was established to review the findings and recommendations of the Maternal Mortality Review Board to identify social determinants and other issues known to impact maternal health outcomes. The MMMAC develops its recommendations on policies, best practices and strategies to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity.
• The New York State Perinatal Quality Collaborative (NYSPQC) was initiated in 2010 and led by the Division of Family Health. The NYSPQC engages a statewide network of birthing hospitals and centers that seek to provide the best, safest and most equitable care for birthing people and infants in New York State. The NYSPQC has focused on:
• The NYSPQC Respectful Care & Safe Reduction of NTSV Cesarean Birth Project assists participating birthing facilities in improving perinatal outcomes and patient experience of care by promoting respectful and standardized care, while safely reducing NTSV cesarean births. The New York State Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy & Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Project aimed to improve the identification and care of people with Opioid Use Disorder during pregnancy, as well as improve the identification, standardization of therapy and coordination of aftercare of infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. The New York State Obstetric Hemorrhage Project aimed to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality statewide by translating evidence-based guidelines into clinical practice to improve the assessment, identification and management of obstetric hemorrhage.
• The Perinatal Infant and Community Health Collaborative (PICHC) is a community health worker/paraprofessional-based home visiting program. PICHC programs implement strategies to improve the health and well-being of individuals of reproductive age and their families, focused on individuals in the prenatal, postpartum and interconception periods.
• Nurse-Family Partnership and Healthy Families New York programs provide education, screening and referrals to those who are pregnant or parents of young children. More information on Maternal Mortality can be found here.

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