WHEREAS, The United States ranks highest among industrialized nations in maternal mortality; and

WHEREAS, Nationally, maternal mortality rates are rising, and significant and widening disparities persist with black women, who are three-to-four times more likely than white women to die during pregnancy and the postpartum period; and

WHEREAS, More than 700 women die each year in the United States as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications, and over half of these deaths are preventable; and

WHEREAS, While the national maternal mortality rate continues to rise, California has worked diligently and successfully to reverse the alarming trend; and

WHEREAS, The California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC), a multistakeholder organization committed to ending preventable morbidity, mortality, and racial disparities in California maternity care, was founded in 2006 at Stanford University School of Medicine, in coordination with the California Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (CA-PAMR) and the Public Health Institute, in response to rising maternal mortality and morbidity rates; and

WHEREAS, The CMQCC uses research, quality improvement toolkits, statewide outreach collaboratives, and its innovative Maternal Data Center to improve health outcomes for mothers and infants; and

WHEREAS, Since the inception of the CMQCC and CA-PAMR, California has recorded a maternal mortality decline by 55 percent from 2006 to 2013, inclusive, and has successfully decreased the maternal mortality rate to seven deaths per 100,000 live births; and

WHEREAS, CA-PAMR reported that, from 1999 to 2016, inclusive, suicide rates among women of reproductive age (15–49 years of age) in California remained consistently lower and stable over time while national suicide rates were higher and have continued to rise; and

WHEREAS, A woman’s maternal mental health condition can also be a factor in maternal mortality. Recent efforts have been made to bring greater awareness to maternal mental health and to ensure more women are screened and treated for postpartum depression or psychosis and that many of those women remain covered by health insurance upon diagnosis; and

WHEREAS, Improved screening alone can reduce the severity of postpartum depression. Obstetric providers are implementing more aggressive screening techniques and making strides to further recognize and therefore treat maternal mental health conditions; and

WHEREAS, While California has set an example for the rest of the country and continues to lead in preventing maternal deaths, there is still more work to be done; and

WHEREAS, The State Department of Public Health must continue its surveillance to bring heightened awareness to maternal health; and

WHEREAS, California must maintain its efforts to maximize health prior to pregnancy, including, but not limited to, prevent smoking, improve fitness, reduce sexually transmitted diseases, and promote positive relationships; and

WHEREAS, California must continue to address the postpartum needs of women through such efforts as postpartum visits and interconception care, breastfeeding support, and screening for postpartum depression; and

WHEREAS, California should continue to promote positive birth outcomes for all women through such actions as maternity care quality improvement, home visiting for vulnerable pregnant women, and providing additional support for black women, and to further increase culturally and linguistically relevant public awareness about maternal mental health risk factors, signs, symptoms, treatment, and recovery; and

WHEREAS, California should maintain its efforts to improve the coordination of care between obstetrics and psychiatry regarding mental health treatment, as needed, and to continue advancements for improved screening for mental health conditions during and after pregnancy, as well as screening for substance use, adverse childhood experiences, medical diagnoses, including, infectious disease, and intimate partner violence; and

WHEREAS, The Legislature seeks to bring awareness to maternal health and continue its work to provide positive outcomes for both the mother and the infant; now, therefore, be it