The Patient Safety Movement Foundation supports two federal laws aimed to improve the safety of mothers in U.S. hospitals.
Before adjourning in December, Congress passed maternal health bills that were signed into law.
The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, a bipartisan bill, will help states create or improve maternal mortality review committees tasked with examining pregnancy-related deaths and finding ways to prevent these deaths.
The foundation joined more than 80 organizations that signed a letter of support for the bill, urging congressional leaders to pass the legislation.
The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act authorizes the HHS to issue grants to states for several purposes, such as reviewing pregnancy-related deaths; creating a maternal mortality review committee; and ensuring the state health department has a plan for ongoing healthcare provider education to improve maternal care quality.
The second bill is the Improving Access to Maternity Care Act, which will help identify areas with maternity care shortages and eliminate gaps in maternity care.