Seema Kumar: I want to draw attention to a significant public health concern that women today face: the alarming rise in maternal mortality rates in the US, especially for women of color.
As Seema Kumar, Vice President of Innovation, Global Health and Policy Communication at Johnson & Johnson, stated on Linkedin:
“I want to draw attention to a significant public health concern that women today face: the alarming rise in maternal mortality rates in the US, especially for women of color.
Last week at Cure., I had the opportunity to learn more about this looming crisis during my Tuesday Talk conversation with Adrianne Nickerson, CEO and Co-founder of Oula Health. The facts are astonishing: women in the US are 50% more likely to die in child birth and, the US has one of the highest pregnancy-related death rates among high-income, industrialized nations, despite boasting the most advanced healthcare system in the world.
According to the CDC, maternal mortality rates in Black women increased by a stunning 40% in 2021 and rates in black women were 2.6 times higher than white women. States like Mississippi and Georgia, where there are large populations of black and Asian-pacific women, are seeing higher numbers compared to the national average. The kicker is more than 80% of these deaths are preventable.
So why are we facing this growing crisis in the US? What’s different in other countries?
According to Nickerson, our system does not provide pregnant women the appropriate level of pre- and post-natal medical care, does not include a collaborative model that includes midwives. The emphasis, says Nickerson, is on the clinical care, not on social aspects like nutrition, psycho-social, and access–or issues like mental health or the family situation. Plus, we do not spend enough on maternal healthcare in the US.
So Adrianne and her co-founders, Elaine Purcell, and Joanne Schneider Demeireles, decided to change that by transforming the pregnancy experience for women in NewYork from the ground up. They launched Oula, a state-of-the-art maternity clinic in NYC where pregnant women get personalized maternity care from hearing the first heartbeat to giving birth.
Oula uses a collaborative care model that brings together a team of doctors and midwives in a modern and welcoming maternity center combining the best of obstetrics and midwifery care, to deliver an evidencebased and personalized experience. Their outcomes are impressive as well, with fewer cesareans and other preterm deliveries.
After a positive pregnancy test, it takes approximately 8-12 weeks before you get your first pre-natal visit appointment, but Oula’s model is high-touch. They provide live and app-based support systems, including prenatal care, nutritional guidance, mental health support, and assistance during childbirth.
Oula Health has received an impressive funding of $23 million and is building clinics in collaboration with major medical centers and insurers. The company has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s “10 Most Innovative Healthcare Companies in 2023”.
Source: Seema Kumar/Linkedin
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