Last week the Ohio Department of Health released the latest report on maternal mortality in Ohio, A Report on Pregnancy-Related Deaths in Ohio 2017-2018. There is a lot to unpack in the report and we’ll spend more time with the details in the coming weeks. However, we identified some key data points that should be...
Community Solutions has been working for several years with the legislature and both the Kasich and DeWine Administrations to improve women’s and maternal health in Ohio. One key element of this work is expanding access to doulas. When we learned that one of Governor DeWine’s budget vetoes was related to doulas, we had to dive...
The amazing team of the Center for Community Solutions has brilliantly provided advocacy, as well as written and oral testimony on numerous occasions on the matter of Maternal and Infant Health. What could I possibly write that would add any more value? Part of my role is to share how the work we do at...
You may have heard of awareness markers for mental health such as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, but did you know there is a World Maternal Mental Health Day? A day to raise awareness, change attitudes to reduce stigma, and influence policies about maternal mental health, World Maternal Mental Health Day takes place on May 3,...
It’s been a busy few weeks (months…years….?) in the Ohio legislature. Last we checked in, the Governor’s version of the state budget—House Bill (HB) 33—was making its way through the House of Representatives. The House Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, along with the other issue area subcommittees, heard testimony from a diverse set...
Recently, a colleague reflected on her experience during our staff visit to the Village of Healing clinic, in Euclid, OH in November 2022. Village of Healing Center had just opened its doors earlier that year. Similar to her, I was in awe of the space and the important work that Da’Na Langford, MS, CNP and...
Maternal mortality in the United States is the highest of any developed nation. Even more striking is that Black women die at three times the rate of white women. Racial disparities in health outcomes are well-known and well-documented, and maternal health is no exception. However, little has been mentioned about the effect of systemic racism...
As we embark on a new year and the 135th General Assembly, The Center for Community Solutions has laid out a set of priorities for the 2024-2025 state budget that closely align with our organizational policy priority areas and build upon progress made to date. Our budget priorities are responsive to the fact that we’re...
Upon making the decision to prioritize improving the dire maternal and infant health crisis our state is facing, Community Solutions committed itself to ensuring said efforts are rooted in the lived experience of the families and professionals in our communities. Thus far, these collaborations have come in a myriad of forms, including engaging with practicing...
