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This Black Maternal Health Week, the South Side Healthy Community Organization (SSHCO) is reaffirming a truth too often ignored: that Black women in the United States are dying at alarming rates from preventable pregnancy-related complications—and that it doesn’t have to be this way.
Across the country, Black women are more than three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as White women, according to the CDC. In 2023, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births. For White women, it was 14.5. For Asian and Hispanic women, it was even lower.
These disparities are not new. But they are stubborn—and unacceptable.
“During Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), we reaffirm our commitment to uplifting Black voices, promoting systemic changes, and implementing solutions that reduce disparities in maternal health,” said Keyonna M. Tompkins, MPH, MBA, CLC, who manages the SSHCO Maternal Health Program. “The SSHCO Maternal Care Model is designed to achieve these goals by centering Black maternal experiences, addressing structural barriers, and ensuring culturally responsive, community-driven care.”
SSHCO’s Maternal Care Model is tackling the issue from the ground up. It blends traditional clinical services with community-based support. Think doulas, community health workers, and nurse care coordinators—all working as a team to ensure Black mothers are heard, respected, and supported through their pregnancy and postpartum journeys.
That support is holistic. The model includes maternal-fetal medicine consultations for high-risk pregnancies, behavioral health care, nutritional counseling, and help navigating everyday needs like housing, transportation, and employment.
Since last year’s Black Maternal Health Week, SSHCO has identified 1,168 maternal patients and provided quality care to more than 260 high-risk patients. An additional 75 mothers have been enrolled in the care model for help with needs tied to the social determinants of health. For them, that looked like real support—food, housing assistance, help with utility bills and more.
This week is also a time to reflect on the numbers.
While overall maternal deaths in the U.S. declined in 2023—from 817 in 2022 to 669—the gains haven’t been shared equally. The maternal death rate dropped for White, Hispanic, and Asian American women. But for Black women, the rate barely budged—from 49.5 to 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births.
For older women, the risks are even higher. Those aged 40 and up had a mortality rate of 59.8—nearly five times the rate of women under 25.
At the same time, more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in this country are preventable, per the CDC. That makes the racial gap in outcomes not only tragic—but a damning reflection of the system’s failures.
Keyonna Tompkins and the SSHCO team believe the path forward lies in changing that system from within, starting with the care that centers the mother and her lived experience.
“Black Maternal Health Week is more than just a moment; it’s a movement toward justice and empowerment,” Tompkins said. “Through our commitment to community-driven solutions and collaborative partnerships, the SSHCO Maternal Care Model is actively transforming the maternal health landscape, ensuring that every Black mother receives the respectful, high-quality care she deserves.”
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