PHOENIX — A big push to increase maternal care in Arizona is happening this Thursday.
A first of its kind summit will bring together healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers and more in Phoenix to call for better support for new mothers.
The U.S. has the highest rate of maternal deaths of any high-income nation. That’s even with pregnancy-related deaths falling back go pre-pandemic levels, according to the Commonwealth Fund. Thursday in Phoenix, the AZ Maternal and Child Health Workforce and Policy Summit will address those concerns and more.
4th Trimester Arizona is behind Thursday's AZ Maternal and Child Health Workforce Policy Summit. The organization’s mission is to support the mental, physical and emotional health of new parents.
4th Trimester’s President and CEO, Jennie Bever, said Thursday's summit is being held to identify and remove barriers to create a supportive environment for parents and children in our state.
They’ll address a call for better Medicaid coverage for lactation support for new parents in Arizona and our state’s new policy covering doula support for parents on AHCCCS. Community leaders will also address better connecting patients with providers, increasing mental health support for postpartum moms, increasing rural maternal care and a crisis in childcare for working families and those wanting to work.
Bever said they’ll talk about ways to extend mental health support for Arizona moms.
“So mental health is a huge issue, not just on our state, but nationwide, and mothers have for way too long not been supported in their mental health needs," Bever said. "Arizona is no different. One of the biggest issues that we have is not enough providers, and then not enough providers that look like the moms that they're serving.”
Valley mom Chanice Reid shared the importance for her of finding a mom community for more support.
“If I didn't have all these resources, I feel like I would be in a deep, dark place," Reid said. "So it's, it's definitely, it's definitely beautiful to have these resources, because if I I didn't, I would probably feel quite alone."
Thursday's summit runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Arizona Commerce Authority.
To find ways to better connect with moms in your community through support villages, contact 4th Trimester AZ.