Thank you, Chairs Louis and Narcisse and members of both committees, for holding this hearing today. My name is Lacey Tauber and I am here on behalf of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to endorse the Council’s proposals supporting the collection of accurate and comprehensive data on maternal health outcomes, and to highlight solutions that utilize this data.
NYPORTS data on adverse events in healthcare settings is an important source of information for researchers seeking to improve patient safety and the quality of patient care. This is precisely the sort of work being done by the New York City Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC), whose aim is to combat our city’s unacceptable rates of maternal deaths and severe maternal morbidity. NYPORTS data is particularly beneficial because it is legally mandated and very timely. We also know from NYPORTS reports that among the deaths and serious injuries entered into this tracking system, obstetrics-related events are by far the most prevalent. 1,2 Additionally, given the number of health facilities in NYC, most of the NYPORTS-reported events occur in NYC. So it is smart for the City Council to put forward the resolutions being considered today, which call for this data to be regularly audited by the NYS DOH, and for NYPORTS to standardize and specify data variables related to severe maternal outcomes and make this data readily available to City researchers.
Ultimately, the purpose of collecting public health data is to inform choices about funding, programming, and regulations that aim to improve outcomes. What we already know from previous reports is that for the most devastating of adverse maternal health outcomes—pregnancy-associated deaths—the majority were preventable.3 And from the DOHMH’s last five-year report on pregnancy-associated mortality, we know that four of the five community districts with the highest rates of pregnancy-associated death are in Brooklyn. That is why Borough President Reynoso has made improving maternal health in Brooklyn one of his
highest priorities. He thanks the Council for its ongoing work on this issue and hopes to continue to partner on the following solutions:
Investing in Public Hospitals: A 2024 NYS DOH report showed that a significant proportion of Brooklyn residents, especially those with commercial insurance, are electing to access care outside of Brooklyn. Those who do elect to stay in Brooklyn for perinatal care are not going to our public hospitals.4 There is no reason Brooklyn’s public hospitals should fall behind, and it must start from proper investment in fair wages and adequate staffing for maternal and mental health.
Investing in Midwifery Care: Research has shown that midwives can play a critical in role in reducing maternal death rates.5 The midwifery model of care is structured in a personalized and holistic way that has been shown to improve patient satisfaction when compared to obstetric care provided by physicians.6 Maternity care provided by midwives has also been associated with improved birth outcomes such as fewer C-sections, lower preterm birth rates, lower episiotomy rates, and higher breastfeeding rates.7
However, Woodhull is the only public Brooklyn hospital that has centered midwives in obstetric care. In 2022, 71.8% of its births were attended by a licensed midwife, while this number was drastically lower at Kings County Hospital and South Brooklyn Hospital at 4.6% and 14.2% respectively.8 The Borough President wants to partner with the Council to expand midwifery care and ensure that midwives hold leadership positions at their hospitals.
Expanding the Perinatal Mental Health Workforce: Mental health conditions are the single leading underlying cause of pregnancy-associated deaths in NYC. This year, Borough President Reynoso was proud to announce a partnership with Brooklyn College to design and implement an Advanced Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health. This program is the first of its kind and seeks to prepare healthcare, mental health, and early intervention professionals to support expectant and new mothers who are experiencing mental distress. Creating an informed maternal health workforce that can work with parents during the vulnerable perinatal period is critical, and we encourage the City Council to support initiatives that expand the perinatal mental health workforce.
Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today.
