Rep. Robin Kelly Celebrates Biden-Harris Administration Initiative to Improve Hospital Safety for Mothers and Babies

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) celebrated the Biden-Harris Administration’s announcement that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin displaying the ‘Birthing-Friendly’ designation icon on CMS’s Care Compareonline tool. CMS created the new designation to identify hospitals and health systems that participate in a statewide or national perinatal quality improvement collaborative program and implement evidence-based care to improve maternal health.

Rep. Kelly is a longtime leader to improve maternal health care. The Congresswoman currently serves as the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and co-chair of the bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus. This year, Rep. Kelly introduced the CARE for Moms Act, a comprehensive solution to the maternal mortality crisis that focuses on strengthening the maternal health workforce and increasing access to critical resources. Critical elements of Kelly's MOMMAs Actwere signed into law, including the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act of 2021, which established a grant program under HHS to identify, develop, and disseminate best practices to improve maternal health care, and eliminate maternal mortality and morbidity.

“I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to help mothers find ‘Birthing-Friendly’ hospitals and health systems to deliver their babies safely,” said Rep. Robin Kelly. “Our government should be investing in more resources like this to empower mothers to access the best possible care in their communities.”

“Today’s launch of the ‘Birthing-Friendly’ designation is another important step to increase and further ensure access to high-quality maternity care,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. “America’s maternal mortality rates are the highest in the developed world, and in response, President Biden and I have made it a key priority to address this crisis by directing government agencies to come up with deliberate and actionable plans. We will always remain committed to supporting the health and well-being of all women, their families, and communities across the nation.”

“Tackling the maternal health crisis is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration. We are doing everything in our power to help pregnant and postpartum people find high-quality maternity care. The hospitals and health systems that are designated as ‘Birthing-Friendly’ are an important tool for consumers in their search for first rate care,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “We will continue to take action to further advance maternity care quality, safety, and equity.”

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