PA Black Maternal Health Caucus celebrates another successful Black Maternal Health Week at the Capitol Read more
In a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates among wealthy nations, Black women are two-to-three times more likely to die in childbirth than their peers. Years of repeated attention have barely moved the needle, but dozens of state Capitol advocates this week were clear-eyed about how they’d change those numbers.“This is about justice, but justice is not enough to sustain us alone. We also need joy,” said Rep. La’Tasha Mayes (D-Allegheny) on Tuesday. “Because ‘justice’ is the fight and ‘joy’ is the inspiration. Joy is what keeps us going when we’re overwhelmed by the numbers. “Joy is what reminds us to keep fighting for healthy families, thriving communities and lives that are not cut short,” she added. “Every single week, we find the joy and the justice.” Justice and joy are themes for Black Maternal Health Week events across the country, where an estimated four in five pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. In Pennsylvania, 129 women died in 2021 — the most recent year available — 98% of which were preventable, according to the state’s maternal mortality review committee. Black mothers shared their stories before crowds and with each other, detailing the close calls and doctor indifference that brought them into the advocacy space. Keynote speaker Mercedes Sheri Wells made national news after an Indiana hospital discharged her ten minutes before she gave birth on the side of the road in November. Read more
HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania lawmakers are advancing efforts to address maternal health disparities after testimony revealed a woman gave birth roadside following hospital discharge while in active labor. Read more
“This is not a hearing about a single point of failure,” said state Rep. Morgan Cephas, who co-chairs the Black Maternal Health Caucus and represents portions of Philadelphia. “This hearing amplifies the layered challenges across the entire continuum of maternal care—from implicit bias in clinical settings to limited access to prenatal and postpartum services to maternity care deserts in too many communities. The challenges are systemic. No family in Pennsylvania should be forced to worry about losing their life due to pregnancy complications or living with lasting effects because of a failed system.” Read more
Community leaders, health workers and activists gathered at Temple University on Monday to launch Black Maternal Health Week, addressing persistent disparities affecting Black mothers and families.The summit featured a keynote address by state Rep. Morgan Cephas, a panel discussion and collaborative breakout sessions designed to engage attendees.Cephas said the theme of this year’s observance reflected the need to reframe the conversation.“Often when we talk about Black maternal health, we focus on the number of deaths,” she said. “But we also know that 98% of those deaths are preventable. This week is about how we prevent them — and about joy. It’s critical that we keep moving that conversation forward.” Read more
Co-chair of the PA Black Maternal Health Caucus La'Tasha D. Mayes explains Rep. Gina H. Curry’s resolution officially designating January 23, 2026 as Maternal Health Awareness Day in Pennsylvania, highlighting the urgent need for action to address the crisis in maternal health. With a high pregnancy-associated mortality rate of 97 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021, this recognition emphasizes the necessity for increased attention, resources, and commitment to preventable complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 17 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives today approved a joint resolution sponsored by state Reps. Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester, Liz Hanbidge, D-Montgomery, and La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny, that would allow Pennsylvania residents to add a Reproductive Rights Amendment to the state constitution. The Otten, Hanbidge and Mayes bill, H.B. 1957 , proposes an amendment to the Pennsylvania constitution that would reaffirm and protect every Pennsylvanians’ right to privacy and ensure that the state shall not deny or interfere with an individual’s reproductive freedom in their most intimate personal decisions. The amendment would ensure that every individual has a right of privacy with respect to personal, sexual and reproductive health care decisions, including the right to choose or refuse an abortion, the right to choose or refuse contraceptives, and the right to choose or refuse fertility care, all without discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion or relationship status. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support by a vote of 102 to 101. Today’s action represents a significant step toward advancing the legislation, which could ultimately appear on a future ballot for Pennsylvania voters to decide whether fundamental reproductive rights should be explicitly protected in the state constitution. For the first time in recent legislative history, Pennsylvania is taking proactive steps to protect Read more
Co-chair of the PA Black Maternal Health Caucus La'Tasha D. Mayes knows the crucial role nurse-midwives play in providing compassionate and competent care to women and infants during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum. Allowing nurse-midwives to sign fetal death certificates acknowledges their contribution in the delivery process, particularly in cases of stillbirth where they may be the primary birth attendant. This streamlines reporting especially in home births or birthing centers without a physician present. Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 23 – Members of the PA Black Maternal Health Caucus will be hosting a full day of events at the Capitol on Monday, Oct. 27. The caucus was formed on Oct. 17, 2023, with state Reps. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., Gina H. Curry, D-Delaware, and La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny, serving as co-chairs. Members of the community and supporters are invited to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the PBMHC. The celebration will include Advocacy Day in the Capitol from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be press conferences and opportunities to hear from women’s health organizations and advocates. The anniversary celebration and storytelling event will take place in the Capitol Media Center in the evening from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. This event will celebrate the work of the caucus, including the PA MOMNIBUS 2.0 bill package. The 12-bill package was introduced to confront the staggering rate of Black maternal deaths and pregnancy-related complications in Pennsylvania. Already, three of these bills have passed the House this session. The MOMNIBUS 2.0 builds on the success of the caucus’ first legislative package, which sent to bills to the governor’s desk during the 2023-2024 legislative session: Act 102 of 2024 (Fiedler) requires information relating to perinatal or postpartum mood and anxiety disorders and resources to be provided to pregnant patients; and providing for Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 29 — Pennsylvania would conduct a new public awareness campaign to get more fathers involved in prenatal care and the birthing process under a bill sponsored by state Rep. Aerion Abney that passed the House today with strong bipartisan support. House Bill 1212 , dubbed the PA Dads Matter Act, directs the Department of Health to conduct the campaign. Abney, D-Allegheny, introduced the bill as part of MOMNIBUS 2.0, a comprehensive legislative package that seeks to improve birthing outcomes and confronts the staggering rate of Black maternal mortality and morbidity in Pennsylvania. “I feel very strongly about this bill,” Abney said. “A dad’s involvement can make an enormous difference in a healthy pregnancy and birth. When a dad is engaged, there are lower chances of unhealthy birth weight and lower risks of postpartum mood and anxiety disorders.” Abney, the father of two sons, modeled the bill after bipartisan federal legislation drawn up by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and former Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. “The MOMNIBUS is about more than just moms!” said state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Philadelphia, the bill’s prime co-sponsor. “When dads and partners are engaged in the process, we know that birthing outcomes improve greatly for everyone. The Dads Matter Act highlights the role that fathers play to uplift the health and wellbeing of babies and mothers before, during and after Read more
An ongoing health care crisis in Pennsylvania is resulting in hundreds of mothers and infants dying each year during pregnancy or in the first months following birth. Rep. Gina H. Curry, who represents portions of Delaware County, convened a PA House Majority Policy Committee hearing Thursday to find answers and hear from experts about what can be done to improve health outcomes for all. Read more
HARRISBURG, July 1 -- Legislation that would expand access to blood pressure monitors for Medicaid and CHIP enrollees introduced by state Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny, passed the House today (147-55). House Bill 1234 would expand the state’s Medical Assistance programs to cover medically necessary and clinically accurate home blood pressure monitors for pregnant and postpartum enrollees. “I am deeply committed to improving maternal health and birth outcomes. Hypertension affects up to 10% of pregnancies, a rate that has surged 25% over the past two decades and remains a leading cause of maternal and infant mortality, particularly among Black moms and birthing people,” said Mayes, co-chair of the Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus. When left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can lead to preeclampsia, eclampsia, preterm birth, heart attack, stroke and even death. “Every pregnancy deserves the highest standard of care, and that includes access to essential tools like home blood pressure monitors. Expanding access through evidence-based practices ensure we are putting the health and lives of pregnant people first, no matter their income,” Mayes said. This bill comes after the House passed H.B. 1088 – introduced by Rep. Mandy Steele, D- Allegheny – earlier this month. That bill requires coverage of at-home blood pressure monitors in private Read more
The co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus on Monday held their PA MOMNIBUS 2025 Day at the state Capitol. The events of the day were held to observe the progress of the group in the previous legislative session and highlight the new PA MOMNIBUS 2.0 legislative package for the 2025-26 session. Read more
“As a former correctional officer and counselor, I have seen the devastating result these barriers can produce with incarceration,” Pielli said. “Later, as a past criminal defense attorney, I represented clients in Drug Court, Veterans Court, and Mental Health Court. I noticed the unique challenges and roadblocks that mothers, especially single moms, face during their recovery, as well as the failure of our court system to implement a meaningful treatment court option for these individuals. Read more
HARRISBURG, June 10 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved a bill introduced by Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Allegheny, that would require health insurance to cover medically necessary home blood pressure monitors as a pregnancy-related service. “Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a serious, life threatening condition during pregnancy and the postpartum year for some mothers, and we have the ability to help them stay healthy and prevent further problems with this legislation,” Steele said. “Catching these issues early on in order to treat hypertension, both during pregnancy and after delivery, will avert serious complications for our mothers and will save lives.” According to the CDC , 5% to 10% of women suffer from high blood pressure during pregnancy, which is a 25% increase over the past two decades. The bill ( H.B. 1088 ) now goes to the Senate for consideration. Read more
Pittsburgh Courier feature about Black Maternal Health Read more
“We celebrated Black Maternal Health Week 2025 in Pittsburgh because Black maternal health is on the rise in Pennsylvania and there is no better place than Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania to continue our legislative momentum through the PA MOMNIBUS,” said Mayes. Read more
“We included this event during the Black Maternal Health Week Summit because we have introduced Momnibus 2.0, which includes a variety of bills and legislation connected to the work of Beverly’s PGH,” said state Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes, who co-chairs the Black Maternal Health Caucus and co-hosted the event. Read more
“We are driven in the Black Maternal Health Caucus by one statistic: 93% of maternal deaths are preventable,” said Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes, who represents portions of Allegheny County and co-chairs the Black Maternal Health Caucus. “The question is why we are not preventing them.” Read more
Lawmakers holding three-day-event in Pittsburgh for Black Maternal Health Week 2025 Read more
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