Saint Mary’s leaders attended a luncheon recently entitled Accelerating Our Black Maternal Health. The event was hosted by Waterbury Bridge to Success for the #Day43 initiative, which strives to create solutions to combat Black maternal mortality and to support an all-around equitable environment for all women and their babies.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 20% of pregnancy-associated deaths happen between 43 days and one year postpartum. The percentage is further exacerbated when disaggregated by race for Black mothers. The #Day 43 initiative is focused on transforming systems to raise awareness of black women’s maternal health in the city of Waterbury through training, research, technical assistance, policy, advocacy, and community-centered collaboration.
Since its foundation, Saint Mary’s seeks opportunities to partner with local community-based organizations and community members to bring about positive change as it relates to improving the health, access to care and the well-being of its residents. Through their collaboration with Waterbury Bridge to Success, Saint Mary’s has been able to support, inform and participate in a variety of community initiatives. Obstetrics and Gynecological Department Chair for Saint Mary’s, Mark Albini, M.D., presented at the event and is a staunch supporter of expanding access to health care in the Waterbury community.
Joining Saint Mary’s as partners on the Black Maternal Health initiative are Waterbury Bridge to Success, the Waterbury (CT) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, Woman’s Choice, Connecticut Community Foundation, and the American Heart Association.