In 2010, Amnesty International released the report “Deadly Delivery, The Maternal Health Crisis in the USA.”That report revealed that women in the USA have a greater lifetime risk of dying of pregnancy-related complications than women in 40 other countries. In that 2010 Amnesty International report, Virginia was ranked 17th for maternal mortality. According to America’s Health Rankings for the years 2018-2022, Virginia's rank is 39th! Acknowledging the existence of racial disparities, the Amnesty International report recommended cultural competency requirements for medical licensure as a strategy to reduce maternal mortality. It has been more than 15 years since the report and Virginia has failed to pass a bill to require bias reduction training (cultural competency training reduces bias). In Virginia, review of data by the Virginia Maternal Mortality Review Team found that 100% of cases among Black women and women of other races were found to be preventable!
Training will include understanding how bias can result in delayed and inadquate treatment for diseases and conditions, including sickle cell disease. Mortality rates have been reported as high as 33% during a sickle cell disease pain episode so swift unbiased treatment is critical.
(We need your home/mailing address to determine whose districts you are in. Thanks.)
