Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller convened a hearing in June of the Cook County Board’s Health and Hospitals Committee to hear from stakeholders about the ways Illinoisans can be better protected during and after pregnancy and childbirth. In April, Commissioner Miller championed a resolution calling for the hearing after reports showed that in 2020, Illinois had a maternal mortality rate of 23 deaths per 100,000 live births, and for Black women, that rate was six times higher — surpassing the national average. “More than eight out of ten maternal deaths are preventable, and the fact that we aren’t doing everything we can do to avoid these deaths is unacceptable,” said Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller. “I’m grateful to all of those who spoke at today’s hearing to help us understand how we can address this crucial issue at the county, state, and federal levels.” During the hearing, the board heard from policy makers, advocates, and medical professionals on what the state needs to do to further prevent pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths. The hearing featured testimony from Congresswoman Robin Kelly, State Rep. Mary Flowers, COO of Cook County Department of Public Health Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Advocate Trinity Hospital Gwendolyn Oglesby-Odom, Gynecology Institute of Chicago’s Dr. Nicole Williams, Family Christian Health Center’s Dr. Lisa Green, and others. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 700 women die in the U.S. each year as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications, with higher deaths in women of color compared to white women. The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world.

Photo Credit: The Office of Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller