VALHALLA – US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, Friday, were at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla calling for legislation and nearly $180 million in federal funding to address the nation’s maternal mortality and maternal mental health crisis.
The US continues to have the highest rate of maternal mortality in the developed world, driven in large part by the high mortality rates among women of color, the lawmakers said.
Gillibrand’s proposal would support mothers at every step of their maternal healthcare journey and help address racial disparities in maternal health by awarding grants to grow and diversify the maternal health workforce and working to eliminate racial bias in maternal care.
“More people in the United States die from pregnancy-related complications than in any of our peer countries – this is outrageous and downright shameful,” she said.
She is seeking almost $180 million in the end-of-year spending bill to help implement evidence-based health care standards for all women, no matter their race or ethnicity.
