Center for Maternal Health
The complex risk factors that raise complications in pregnancy can stretch back decades—but we believe your ZIP code, or level of education, shouldn’t determine the status of your health. The Center for Maternal Health—part of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health, a dedicated network of experts devoted to every aspect of women's care—takes a 360-degree approach to improving maternal care. We’re here to combat these inequalities and offer thoughtful programs that work hard to improve adverse outcomes.
These programs improve maternal care both in and out of the hospital. And, through our community relationships, we address these complex risk factors from pre-conception through the first year after delivery—as well as social determinants that raise the risk of those problems among Black women.
Did you know?
- In New York state, Black women are approximately five times more likely to die in childbirth than white women.
- In New York City, Black women are approximately eight times more likely to die in childbirth than white women.
- Non-Hispanic Black patients are three times more likely than white patients to die from pregnancy-related causes.
- Native American pregnant patients are twice as likely to die than white pregnant patients.
- For Black and Native American people over the age of 30, mortality for pregnancy-related causes is four to five times higher than it is for white people.
- College-educated Black women are at a higher risk than white or Hispanic women with less than a high school diploma, and Black college-educated women are five times more likely to die.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
Pregnancy wellness assessment
Are you experiencing any of the following?
In this checklist, we break down risk factors that could affect your pregnancy. If you’re experiencing any, our providers are ready to help.
Black women in New York state are three times more likely to die giving birth than white women. Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health, shares our plan to fix that.
This interactive digital resource offers weekly insights and 24/7 access to answers and support before and after your pregnancy. For Northwell patients only.
At the Katz Institute for Women’s Health, we’re looking at history to shape our future. By putting women first and basing women’s health care on women, we can give them the care they deserve. That's why more women choose Northwell than any other health system in New York.
Our programs
Maternal Outcomes and Morbidity Collaborative (MOMS)
This program provides valuable information to doctors inside and outside of Northwell Health, helping them bring down cesarean delivery rates, reduce adverse outcomes, and stay informed of maternal care best practices. Through MOMS Collaborative, cardiologists, pulmonologists, psychologists, hematologists and other experts all work together to meet the unique needs of women throughout this vulnerable period.
The four pillars of the MOMS Collaborative are:
- Improving awareness of preeclampsia, individual risk of preeclampsia and the use of low-dose aspirin to delay the onset and reduce the severity of preeclampsia
- Promoting safe vaginal birth (reducing the rate of cesarean section)
- Increasing awareness of implicit bias and structural racism and their impact on underserved populations
- Identifying poor pregnancy outcome risks in people contemplating or in early pregnancy, and connect them to resources (physicians, behavioral health experts, social support) that can decrease the likelihood of maternal and/or fetal-newborn morbidity
Maternal Outcomes (MOMs) Navigation
This program provides additional support to high-risk women outside the health care setting, between prenatal appointments or in the postpartum period at home:
- The Center for High-Risk Pregnancy and Fetal Health cares for women who have an abnormal condition or complicating factor(s) such as pregestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart and kidney disease. Our maternal-fetal medicine specialists can also help with issues such as abnormal baby growth and/or development, recurrent miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm delivery and high blood pressure.
- Advanced Fetal Care Program combines the expertise of maternal-fetal medicine with pediatric specialists to offer comprehensive care for you and your baby, all in one easily accessible place.
Perinatal Data Center (PDC)
This web application is a collection of user-friendly dashboards that allow us to use data to find new ways to improve maternal care. The application serves as a central hub to calculate, report and improve clinical performance using near real-time data sets of both billing and clinical information.
High blood pressure can cause problems for you and your baby during pregnancy.
Preeclampsia is persistent high blood pressure during pregnancy or postpartum that can affect many of your body’s organs.
