Maternal Health: Can We Fix This Mess?

Part V

The maternal health care system has a lot of problems. In fact, it is highly messed up. But like socks with their pair, actions and reactions, and everything going up coming down again, these problems have solutions. Now these aren’t sweet and simple solutions that will to make everything A-Okay overnight, but with time, dedication and resources, will make a huge difference in creating a maternal health care system that succeeds in protecting the health of mothers. Only fixing one part of the system will leave a maternal health care system still plagued by problems, so any plan must take a systematic approach and address all of the problems in the system in order to really make a difference.

One of the first things the government can do is to establish an Office of Maternal Health. This office would be important in addressing the issues of accountability and lack of information about the system failings. With a government office dedicated to improving maternal health, eliminating discrimination and creating standards of care. Giving a group of people the power and authority to do something about the maternal health care crisis is necessary in implementing real change. The health care system is highly tied into government operations and systems, so the government needs to be involved in the solutions process.

Other ways the government can address maternal mortality include establishing state level maternal mortality review boards and making Medicaid easily accessible by pregnant women. Maternal mortality review boards serve to investigate and keep records of maternal deaths, and can hold institutions accountable if a death was preventable. Pregnant women need regular prenatal care and access to services. Now, if a woman gets pregnant and then applies to Medicaid, it takes much to long for her to begin receiving health care benefits. By giving pregnant woman temporary access to Medicaid during their pregnancy will increase the number of women receiving maternal health care.

Making sure that the people who need maternal health care have access to it is one of the most important things that needs to be done to improve the system. Right now, the population that is lacking access are the underserved and impoverished communities in rural and urban areas. In order to establish better access to health care services in these areas, the government needs to increase funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). These clinics are essential in providing general and maternal care to people who would not otherwise receive the necessary care, so expansion in the number of FQHCs would make it so much easier for many women to access maternal health care.

Outside of the government, health care providers must also do their part in improving maternal health care. Health care providers can make sure that they are communicating openly with their patients, offering them accurate information about their health care and allowing them to make choices about their own health. Although it seems like something obvious that health care providers would already do, it is often not the case. Being adequately informed about the risks of procedures and symptoms of dangerous conditions is necessary for a woman to have quality maternal care.

Quality health care can only be provided if there are enough health care providers to care for the patients. Because understaffing is a major issue in the maternal health care system and the cause of many preventable medical errors or overlooks, hospitals and clinics must ensure that there are enough health care providers to give every woman proper care. Hiring more nurses and OBGYNs is one of the simplest things we can do to improve the maternal health care system.

These are only a few solutions to some of the problems, but there are many more outlines and plans to fix the system. The Amnesty report has a list of ten recommendations for improving maternal health care in America, and as the system crisis gets more and more attention, I believe more solutions will be proposed.

Striving towards a world where we take care of our fellow man is not always easy. Differences in opinions and priorities often lead to a conflict between people about what battle we should be fighting to try and make our world a better place. There are those who are against gay marriage and those that support it, Some people are advocates of the free market and global capitalism, and others would like to see a society based on socialist principals. These divides make it very difficult to get anything accomplished. Often, before someone can begin working towards their solution, they need to overcome the opposing side. I hope that maternal health is not an issue that creates factions, but instead something that all people can rally around. With a united front for improving the maternal health care system, our country has the potential to fix the problems that are ailing the system now. The first step in creating that united front, however, is to inform people about the maternal health care crisis in this country, and now that you know about it, this becomes your responsibility. Don’t just sit on the fact that 13.3 women die for every 100,000 in the United States. Don’t think “wow, that’s terrible” and never do anything about it. Instead learn more by reading Amnesty’s reports, take action by sending a letter to the US Department of Human and Health services, or even tell a friend about the despicable treatment pregnant women in this country are facing. Now that you know about the maternal health care crisis what are you going to do about it?