Representative Gwen Graham, D-Fla., sponsored a bill called the Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act.
The bill would build on the successful and bipartisan Pediatric Quality Measures Program, providing a much-needed focus on maternity care quality and health outcomes for mothers and infants.
Graham, announced the Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act at Capital Area Healthy Start.
Kristy Goldwire, executive director of Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition explains that an average of 100 babies die in Tallahassee’s five county regions.
“In 2014 in Leon County there were 22 infant deaths, that does not include fetal deaths, of the 22 infant deaths they were babies who died before their first birthday,” Goldwire said.
Graham’s bill is critical for infants, who rely on high quality health care for a strong start in life.
The Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act would also support the continued success of maternity and infant care quality collaboratives, which have already improved health outcomes and reduced health care costs in a number of states, including Michigan, Ohio, Washington and Iowa.
These collaboratives would bring together local stakeholders in maternal and infant care to share best practices and ensure that information on high-quality care reaches the providers and hospitals that need it most, such as those in rural communities.
Dr. Louis St. Petery, pediatric cardiologist expressed that one of the issues for pediatricians are poor people, and we see a lot of kids who are on Medicaid.
“The issue of quality measures for kids particularly poor kids was addressed in previous legislation and I think Gwen Graham’s bill would expand that to mothers and young infants,” St Petery said. “Congresswoman Graham’s bill would establish some quality measures that would provide data that would address the disparities that we see particularly in Medicaid and CHIP population.”
The Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act builds on successful strategies that work, ensuring that we hold Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program accountable by measuring and evaluating their performances in caring for our mothers and babies.