Birth Equity Research Scholars

Our Team’s Latest Insights

Upcoming + Past Projects

Maternal Telehealth Access Project (MTAP)

During August and September 2020, the National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC) held three listening sessions with Black birthworkers and three listening sessions with Black women and birthing individuals to learn about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the receipt and provision of maternity care services in Black communities.

Learnings from these listening sessions have been presented at national conferences and federal government meetings, including the 2020 Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality Meeting, 2021 Black Maternal Health Conference, 2021 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, 2021 National Reproductive Health Conference, and the 2021 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s workshop on Advancing Maternal Health Equity and Reducing Maternal Mortality.

Advancing Equitable and Antiracist Maternal Mental Health Care

To improve the understanding of the impacts of structural and social determinants of health on Black birthing populations’ mental health and mental health care experiences and to identify specific pathways and strategies that could advance equitable and antiracist maternal and infant mental health care, we conducted semi-structured interviews with Black women who are maternal and infant mental health stakeholders.

Manuscript Citation: Matthews K, Morgan I, Davis K, Estriplet T, Perez S, Crear-Perry JA. Pathways To Equitable And Antiracist Maternal Mental Health Care: Insights From Black Women Stakeholders. Health Aff (Millwood). 2021 Oct;40(10):1597-1604. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00808. PMID: 34606342; Podcast Citation: “Podcast: Pathways to Equitable and Anti-Racist Maternal Mental Health Care, ” Health Affairs Podcast, October 19, 2021. DOI: 10.1377 hp20211008.599671

Climate Change and Reproductive Justice

Assessing Community Collaboration in Perinatal Quality Collaboratives

This project aims to assess the scope and implementation of maternal mortality review committee (MMRC) recommendations among perinatal quality collaboratives and community-based organizations; and to examine how MMRCs characterize discrimination and racism as contributing factors towards pregnancy-related deaths.

Transforming Maternal Mental Health Systems of Care for Black Women and Birthing People

NBEC recognizes that Black women led community-based organizations are best equipped to address inequities in access to mental health care, and treatment in Black birthing populations. Leveraging our research and evaluation capacity, NBEC will provide research and evaluation support to select Black women-led maternal mental health community-based organizations to strengthen their capacity to measure the impact of the programs.

Safer Childbirth Cities: Developing a People-Centered Monitoring & Evaluation Plan & Bolstering National Communications Efforts

NBEC will conduct key stakeholder interviews with Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 grantees to assess their current monitoring and evaluation efforts; Prepare a recommended set of people-centered harmonized indicators for assessing progress, based on grantee priorities related to advancing health equity and aligned with other national efforts; and provide technical support for enhancing grantee monitoring and evaluation practices via workshops and tailored one-on-one support.