Co-creation of a Maternal Health Equity Quality Improvement Project With Black Maternal Health Stakeholders

In March 2021, the March of Dimes, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Reproductive Health Impact convened a group of leading maternal health experts to offer guidance and ensure accountability for the design and implementation of the Maternal HealthCARE project, a quality improvement (QI) collaborative to address racial equity and the disparity gap in maternal health outcomes. The Black Maternal Health Stakeholder Group (BMHSG) provided recommendations and insights that served as the foundation of the QI project. From the BMHSG meeting, four themes emerged, which highlighted the underlying causes of maternal health disparities: racism, lack of accountability, poor data transparency, and inadequate patient-centered care. The BMHSG's recommendations provide actionable ways for hospitals to drive change and advance equity within their organizations. These insights offer a roadmap for QI work that places the experience and expertise of Black maternal health experts at the forefront, offering a promising way for hospitals to dismantle systemic and institutional racism in maternity care.