The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded $2.975 million to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) Maternal Mortality Review Program (MMRP) over five years through the ERASE MM Grant to expand support to Alabama’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee (AL-MMRC).
The AL-MMRC was established in 2018 under the leadership of the ADPH Bureau of Family Health Services. The committee is composed of experts and stakeholders who are familiar with the unique aspects of maternal health in Alabama and resources available to the state. Committee members include obstetrician/gynecologists, maternal fetal medicine specialists, emergency department physicians, cardiologists, pathologists, nurses, social workers, counselors, substance abuse treatment specialists, coroners, and law enforcement.
The AL-MMRC convenes several times a year to review records and multiple sources related to maternal deaths that occur during pregnancy or up to one year after delivery or demise. The committee determines if the death was related to the pregnancy and if it was preventable, then develops actionable recommendations to prevent future deaths.
According to Carolyn Miller, Perinatal Division Director at the Bureau of Family Health Services, “The Alabama Legislature has generously supported the MMRP since its inception for staffing, outreach activities, the AL-MMRC, and the Maternal Autopsy Program. We appreciate their continued support as we work to improve maternal health in Alabama.”
The CDC ERASE MM Grant will provide additional support to the AL-MMRC by extending its data capabilities and decreasing time spent developing reports, increasing staff’s ability to abstract records and interview family members, and increasing outreach to educate the public on the prevention of maternal deaths.
“Receiving the CDC ERASE MM Grant along with continued support from Alabama legislators will make a significant difference in striving to improve maternal health in our state and reduce our maternal mortality rate,” Ms. Miller said.