The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to recent maternal mortality rates, as the virus is associated with increased risk of severe complications during pregnancy. During the pandemic, Philadelphia maternal health care providers have worked tirelessly to care for the pregnant and birthing people of Philadelphia and have helped deliver 33,476 babies.
Since 2019, the Office of Engagement for Women and the Philadelphia Commission for Women have been working with legislators, community based organizations, City agencies, healthcare providers and collective impact advocates to address maternal mortality disparities.
We thank the labor and delivery, postpartum, and antepartum nurses; OB/GYN residents and attendings; midwives; doulas; Operating Room (OR) staff; support staff; environmental services staff, and everyone else who supports maternity services in our city, and acknowledge Philadelphia’s birthing hospitals:
- Einstein Medical Center
- Temple University Hospital
- Pennsylvania Hospital
- Jefferson University Hospital
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Maternal Health Care Provider Appreciation Day on February 14, 2022 is a day to draw attention to the urgency of Philadelphia’s maternal mortality crisis and to use this as an opportunity to thank our dedicated and hardworking maternal health care providers, who have continued to show up for pregnant and birthing people in these trying times.
