The fight for health equity is key to healthcare affordability in New York.
As access to care is threatened nationwide by coverage losses, rising premiums, and public health cuts, Staten Island stands at the center of a growing crisis. It has one of the highest rates of pregnancy-associated deaths in New York, putting families, communities, and the healthcare system at risk. The elevated pregnancy associated deaths in Staten Island were primarily due to overdose deaths, which accounted for 30% of pregnancy associated deaths among women and birthing people who were residents of the borough according to the NYC DOHMH report.
That’s why Healthix is proud to launch the Maternal & Infant Health Equity Collaborative on Maternal Health Awareness Day. The Collaborative’s key stakeholders include Staten Island Performing Provider System (SIPPS), The Perinatal Network of Staten Island, Community Health Center of Richmond, Community Health Action of Staten Island, and legislator support of U.S. Representative Nicole Malliotakis and New York State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton. Together our mission is to advance health equity and affordability by:
“Informed care empowers better outcomes—for mothers, babies, and the health system as a whole,” said Todd Rogow, President and CEO of Healthix. “By leveraging Healthix data and addressing maternal health inequities on Staten Island, we hope to strengthen both health equity and healthcare affordability for New Yorkers.” Dr. Joseph Conte, the leader of the Social Care Network of Staten Island, cited that fact that over two thirds of maternal mortality happens in the post-partum period, not during the birthing process, adding “addressing social disparities, including behavioral health is critical to improving outcomes”.
Staten Island is just the beginning. Under Healthix’s leadership, this data-driven approach will expand to address similar issues related to maternal health which impact communities across all of New York City.
