A Perinatal Quality Collaborative's Quality Improvement Strategy Toward Achieving Health Equity

Lauren Nunally, MPH, BSN, RNC-OB; Rose Horton, MSM, RN, NEA-BC; Veritta Henderson, PhD, RNC-EFM, LCCE, FACCE, IBCLC; Kaprice Welsh, CNM, MSN, MPH

Paper Presentation

Purpose for the program

In the state of Georgia, Black women are 3–4 times more likely to die from complications in pregnancy and childbirth than their White counterparts. The variations in obstetric care may contribute to the wide disparity gap between Black and White women, but they do not tell the whole story. The ethics of perinatal care for Black women must be examined as well as how social determinants of health and health inequities affecting women of color contribute to poor perinatal outcomes. Racial and socioeconomic inequity persists in health care. There is no single solution to addressing the long-standing problem of health disparities. However, it is evident that equity is the foundation for quality.