>>> CHILDBIRTH IS DEADLIER FOR BLACK FAMILIES THAN IT IS FOR WHITE FAMILIES.

EVEN FOR BLACK FAMILIES WITH HIGH INCOME.

THIS NEARLY DECADE-LONG STUDY FROM NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH LOOKED AT CALVIN IN FINDING BABIES BORN TO THE RICHEST BLACK WOMEN WERE STILL MORE LIKELY TO DIE THAN BABIES BORN TO THE POOREST WHITE WOMEN.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS RESEARCH AND WHY THE DIFFERENCE IS SO STARK, DR. COLLIER.

PROFESSOR OF OBSTETRICS AND GUN ECOLOGY AT UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, CHICAGO.

AND FOUNDER AND LEAD STEWART AT THE CHICAGO SOUTHSIDE BIRTH CENTER AND LEADER IN RESIDENTS AT CHICAGO BEYOND.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

DR. COLLIER , LET'S START WITH YOU.

WHAT DOES THIS REPORT TELL YOU ?

>> IT TELLS US MORE OF WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW.

BLACK WOMEN ARE DOING WORSE WHEN IT COMES TO MORTALITY WHEN IN THE HOSPITAL.

WHAT IT TELLS US ALSO, YOU CAN'T ASSUME IT IS BECAUSE OF SOCIAL ECONOMIC .

THIS IS SOMETHING BAKED IN THE CAKE.

THAT MEANS IT HAS LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS WHY THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

>> YOU WOULD THINK WITH HIGHER INCOME YOU HAVE BETTER ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND THE VITAMINS, EVERYTHING THAT WOULD LEAD TO A BETTER HEALTH OUTCOME.

>> BUT IT DOESN'T.

>> WHY NOT?

>> THE OBVIOUS THING IS RACISM.

I THINK BLACK WOMEN, BLACK PEOPLE ARE UNDERGOING RACISM IN ALL SHADES AND ALL TYPES OF PLACES, WHERE THEY LIVE, WHERE THEY WORK , ACCESS TO GOOD FOOD, GROCERY STORES.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS CENTURIES OLD, DECADES OLD AND WILL NOT CHANGE IN THIS LAST CENTURY OR PERIOD OF TIME WHERE PEOPLE GET TO BE A LITTLE MORE SUCCESSFUL.

>> RESEARCHERS ARE CONCERNED THE STUDY COULD BE UNDERSTATEMENT BECAUSE CALIFORNIA MORTALITY RATE THE CLIMBING OVER THE LAST DECADE WHILE DEATHS HAVE GONE UP IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.

JANINE, HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THE DISPARITY IN CHICAGO?

>> LOOKING AT THE SEGREGATION IN CHICAGO AND LACK OF ACCESS TO FOOD, STRESSING THE COMMUNITY, SOME OF WHICH ARE INTENTIONAL.

RACISM , LACK OF ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION TO EVEN GET THE HEALTHCARE FACILITIES.

IN 2019, FIVE HOSPITALS CLOSED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO.

WE ARE SEEING THE SAME NUMBERS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN CALIFORNIA WORSE IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND CITIES.

>> FIVE HOSPITALS CLOSED ON THE SOUTH SIDE SINCE 2019 INCLUDING THREE YEARS OF THE PANDEMIC.

DR. COLLIER, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HEALTH RISKS MOTHERS AND BABIES ARE IN DANGER OF THAT LEAD TO MORTALITY ?

>> ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WE SEE, HIGHER RISK OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND HYPERTENSION.

THEY HAVE HIGHER RISK OF PREECLAMPSIA, THAT LEADS TO HIGHER RISK FOR C-SECTION .

ALONGSIDE THAT, THE HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF THINGS LIKE DIABETES.

THOSE THINGS GIVE US THE DECREASED MORBIDITY MORTALITY FOR CHILDREN THAT ARE PRETERM, PREMATURITY , COMORBIDITY WITH THAT.

ALSO, COMORBIDITY THAT GOES WITH THE MOM HAVING THE COMPLICATIONS FROM THOSE THINGS.

>> JANINE, YOU ARE A MIDWIFE.

EXPLAINED THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR SERVICES, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU ARE A BLACK PROFESSIONAL.

>> YES.

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, I SEE FOLKS DURING THEIR PREGNANCY, BIRTH, ALSO PROVIDE SOME PRIMARY CARE AS WELL AS FAMILY-PLANNING AND WELLNESS CARE , PAP SMEARS AND THINGS.

IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I WALK INTO A ROOM, NUMBER ONE , I'VE NEVER SEEN A BLACK PROVIDER BEFORE.

I HAVE TRAVELED VERY FAR JUST TO SEE YOU BECAUSE IF I HAVE MY BABY WITH YOU, WE ARE LESS LIKELY TO DIE.

>> TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TO SOUTHSIDE, YOU MENTIONED DESERTS.

THERE CAN BE BERTHING DESERTS AS WELL.

TELL ME ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT HAS ON SOMEONE WHO IS PREGNANT .

>> RIGHT.

WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A FACILITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR A FACILITY , MANY TIMES I SEE PEOPLE , I CANNOT GO TO THE HOSPITAL , MY GRANDMOTHER DIED, MY UNCLE DIED, I DON'T TRUST THE PROVIDERS THERE.

YOU ARE HAVING PEOPLE PIECEMEAL IN HERE TOGETHER, THEY GO TO THE ER HERE, A CLINIC THERE.

THERE IS NO CONTINUITY OF CARE SETTINGS CAN BE MISSED, APPOINTMENTS CAN BE MISSED FOR LACK OF TRANSPORTATION.

PEOPLE DON'T FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE AND TRUST THE PROVIDERS, THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING TO THEM.

THEY ARE NOT EATING OR THE PAIN THEY ARE HAVING OR FEELINGS.

>> THERE IS ALSO CULTURAL COMPONENT BEING COMFORTABLE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I WENT TO ANOTHER MIDWIFE, I WENT TO THE DOCTOR , I WILL TELL YOU -- >> IT IS JUST US GIRLS.

>> DR. COLLIER, WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO BERTHING COMPLICATIONS OUTSIDE HOSPITAL INTERACTION ?

>> I THINK WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, THIS ACCESS, MAKING SURE YOU HAVE REGULAR CARE.

MAKING SURE YOU ARE ABLE TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL IN TIME.

MAKING SURE YOU HAVE A PHARMACY YOU CAN REGULARLY GO TO TO GET THE MEDICATION YOU NEED.

MAKING SURE YOU GET TO AN APPOINTMENT THAT YOU NEED RIGHT AWAY, MAYBE YOUR APPOINTMENT FOUR WEEKS AWAY BUT YOU NEED TO SEE THE DOCTOR IN A WEEK.

THAT IS WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THE DESERTS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS AND PATIENCE ARE NOT DRIVING OR TAKING A BUS.

AFTERLIFE ON A RIDE.

THAT IMPACTS HOW OFTEN THEY GET INTO CS.

ALL OF THAT IMPACT THEM HAVING THE REGULAR CARE THAT THEY NEED BECAUSE THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.

BUT IF THEY DON'T SHOW UP, THEY DON'T REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE ACCESS.

>> WE OFTEN REFERENCE SERENA WILLIAMS, HOW SHE HAD HER OWN COMPLICATIONS AND HAD TO SPEAK GOT TO GET THE PROFESSIONALS AROUND HER WHEN DELIVERING HER BABY TO LISTEN.

JANINE, WORKING TO OPEN THE SOUTHSIDE BIRTHING CENTER, HOWDY HOPE THE CENTER CHANGES THE LANDSCAPE OF MATERNAL CARE IN CHICAGO ?

>> ONE FAMILY EXCITED ABOUT, THE BIRTHING CENTER IS COMMUNITY FOCUSED.

I LIVE ON THE SOUTH SIDE, CLIENTS FROM THE SOUTH SIDE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING, COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT TO ME.

THE WESTSIDE, FOR EXAMPLE, I REMEMBER AFTERMATH OF GEORGE FLOYD MURDER , GROCERY STORES WORK CLOSE.

PEOPLE HAD ISSUES WITH TRANSPORTATION GETTING TO THE CLINIC.

WE ARE AWARE OF THAT, DOING HOME VISITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

IT IS REALLY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THAT CARE TO FOLKS THAT LOOK LIKE ME AND VICE VERSA.

I THINK THAT IS REALLY EXCITING.

>> JUST A FEW SECONDS, DR. COLLIER, WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE ?

>> INCREASE ACCESS INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE PEOPLE THAT NEED CARE.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE GETTING PROVIDERS THAT REFLECT THE NEIGHBORHOODS THEY ARE IN.

WE NEED TO GO INTO HIGH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES AND REALLY HELP GET OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS BACK INTO MEDICINE AND NURSING .

BECOME MIDWIVES.

WE KNOW PATIENTS TO BETTER WHEN THEY LOOK LIKE THE PHYSICIANS