You can find a PDF of this press release here
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For Immediate Release
Contact: Brittany-Rae Gregory
brittany-rae@nextcenturycities.org
September 20, 2022
Washington, D.C. (September 20, 2022) – In the wake of National Telehealth Awareness Week, Next Century Cities released Changing Our (Virtual) Reality: Telehealth and the United States Maternal Health Crisis. The report authored by Brittany-Rae Gregory, Ph.D. examines the history of telehealth, the high morbidity and mortality rates associated with giving birth, and the potential for telehealth to serve as a critical point of intervention in the fight against the national maternal health crisis.
Telehealth and the United States Maternal Health Crisis sheds light on the maternal health crisis and initiatives developed in response to the healthcare needs of the birthing populations in Next Century Cities municipalities in Georgia, Indiana, and California.
Brittany-Rae Gregory, Next Century Cities Communications Director, offered the following remarks:
“In the United States the maternal mortality rate far surpasses that of similar countries. This number is even more alarming in communities of color. Black birthing persons are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their White counterparts.
“Research has shown that access to reliable telehealth services during and post-pregnancy can help address issues faced by people with high-risk pregnancies and post-pregnancy health risks. Telehealth services increase the number of specialists, mental health workers, and birth workers such as doulas and midwives that birthing people have access to during and after their pregnancies. This is especially important for communities that are largely impacted by the ongoing maternal health crisis.”
Next Century Cities will host an author’s talk with Brittany-Rae to discuss the report, telehealth, and maternal health on Monday, October 17, 2022 at 11:00 to 11:30 a.m. Register for the conversation here.
Read the full report here. Access a maternal telehealth resource one-pager here. To request a print version of the report, please email info@nextcenturycities.org.
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