Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee - The purpose of this project is to support timely and accurate pregnancy-associated death identification, abstraction, and review through the Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) led by the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH). This project will work to implement recommendations that prevent pregnancy-related deaths, with a particular focus on implementing recommendations that reduce disparities, by engaging and supporting communities throughout the review process, and partnering with organizations throughout the state to implement both clinical and non-clinical recommendations. DPH will increase capacity to identify, abstract, and review pregnancy-associated deaths in a timely manner. DPH will conduct more frequent linkages of hospital discharge data, obtain medical records as cases are identified, and increase the time of abstraction so that all pregnancy-associated associated deaths are reviewed within 18 months of the death. Timely abstraction and review of deaths will ultimately lead to timelier data reporting and implementation of recommendations to prevent deaths. DPH will also use this project to ensure the MMRC remains a diverse, multidisciplinary committee by providing further support for committee members and more focused efforts to ensure community members can meaningfully engage on the committee. DPH will provide a self-care facilitator during review meetings who can help provide self-care techniques to support committee members, particularly those who are community members and represent populations most affected by pregnancy-related deaths. DPH will also work to increase meaningful engagement of community members on the MMRC by establishing a workgroup to identify and implement any process changes that are needed to support these members and ensure that the review process is inclusive and supportive. The work of this workgroup will be ongoing to ensure that needs are met as they are identified. Throughout this project, DPH will also work to increase dissemination of data and reports through intentional partnerships with organizations who have wide reaches throughout the state and proposals for presentations at conferences and meetings. DPH will also continue partnering with communities to share findings from the MMRC and to learn from communities what solutions they have to prevent maternal deaths and to learn whether MMRC findings resonate with communities. DPH will continue partnering with the Atlanta Healthy Start Community Action Network and will establish new partnerships with community organizations to expand this work. DPH will also work to ensure that clinical and non-clinical recommendations that reduce disparities are implemented throughout the state. Specifically, DPH will partner with the Center for Black Women’s Wellness to implement the AIM Community Care Initiative Management of Chronic Conditions during Postpartum bundle in two sites in the state. DPH will also partner with Postpartum Support International, Georgia Chapter to increase the state’s capacity to provide mental health treatment.
