August 20th in Oak Lawn, IL: Non-Partisan Congressional Maternal Health Field Inquiry

What: Non-partisan Congressional Maternal Health Field Inquiry, in collaboration with Advocate Children's Hospital. The field inquiry is intended to shine an urgent light on the status of women's health in preparation for motherhood and after giving birth. The findings of the hearing will contribute to a larger federal reporting and factfinding efforts to bolster a national response to curtail maternal mortality and near deaths.

Who:

• Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02), member of the Health Subcommittee and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust,
• Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06),
• Illinois Senator Cristina Castro(SD-22), author of the Improving Healthcare for Pregnant and Postpartum Individuals Act,
• Illinois Representative Mary Flowers(HD-31),
• Mike Farrell, President, Advocate Children's Hospital,
• Frank Belmonte, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Advocate Children's Hospital, and
• Witnesses:
  • James Keller, M.D., Vice President Medical Management, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Advocate Children's Hospital Interim Chief Medical Officer, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Advocate Aurora Health,
  • Heidi House, a near maternal death survivor,
  • Ann Borders, MD, MSc, MPH, Executive Director and Obstetric Lead, Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative and Clinical Associate Professor Maternal Fetal Medicine, NorthShore University HealthSystem,
  • Iveree Brown, Ounce of Prevention Fund,
  • Kirbi Range, Maternal and Child Health Manager, EverThrive IL, and
  • Dara M. Basley, M.A., LCSW, ACCESS Maternal Child Health Program Manager.

When: August 20^th, 2019 at 10am CT

Where:Advocate Christ Medical Center | Conference Center - 93rd Street and KilbournAvenue, Oak Lawn, IL 60453. The conference center entrance is on Kilbourn Avenue about a half block north of 95th Street. There are a limited number of designated media parking spots in the lot across the street from the conference center or complimentary valet is offered at the center entrance.

Why: The current U.S. maternal mortality rate is twice the rate from 1985. Nationally, 700-900 American mothers will lose their lives to pregnancy or birth-related complications each year; more than half of these deaths are entirely preventable. Annually in Illinois, nearly 100 moms will lose their lives; more than three-quarters of these deaths are deemed to be entirely preventable. Nationwide, African American mothers are 3-4 times more likely to die than their white counterparts; in Illinois, that disparity climbs to 6 times more likely to die.