Viewpoints: California Farmworker Health Care Must Be Improved; New Mothers Need Extended Care

Modesto Bee: CA Must Invest In Public Health Infrastructure For Farmworkers 
The Central Valley is home to hundreds of thousands of rural, immigrant farmworkers. Like all essential workers during this pandemic, our farmworkers have weathered the dangers of infection while supplying our nation’s kitchen tables with fruits, nuts and vegetables. Recent evidence suggests that agricultural work ranks among the deadliest occupations of the pandemic, increasing the risk of death by upwards of 40%. In late January, the California Department of Public Health reaffirmed its commitment to our farmworkers — regardless of immigration status — by including agricultural work in Phase 1B of its vaccine allocation guidelines. Although several of California’s 58 counties have since transitioned to Phase 1B, there is still a shortage of vaccine doses to meet demand. (Ivan Marquez, 5/8)

Newsweek: Mothers Need A Continuous System Of Care Even After Babies Are Born 
In our nation, babies are born into a system of well-child care—a series of planned health care visits designed to protect their health from day one through age six. But what about their mothers? No such system exists for them after the postpartum visit. Our fragmented health care system offers no bridge across the chasm that separates maternity care and ongoing primary care. This chasm harms many mothers; for Black and Indigenous people, the gap in care too often means the difference between life and death. The U.S. maternal mortality rate is the highest among affluent nations, and Black and Indigenous mothers are 3.5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than are white mothers. One-third of these deaths occur between one week and one year postpartum (in the chasm); and for every maternal death, there are at least 100 near misses. When complications, such as hypertension and diabetes, are not followed by primary care after pregnancy, chronic illness can develop. (Lois McCloskey, Ann Celi and Chloe Bird, 5/9)

Stat: My Work As A Black OB-GYN Tempered My Joy As I Prepared To Give Birth
Expectant mothers tend to spend time fine-tuning their baby registries and decorating their nurseries. I did some of that, but also spent time getting my blood pressure checked and drafting a will with an estate lawyer. As a Black woman, I embody the high risk of dying during or soon after giving birth. As a Black OB-GYN, I know that Black women in the U.S. are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. (Joy Cooper, 5/9)

Los Angeles Times: How To Change A Health System That Harms Black Mothers 
The current state of Black maternal health in the United States is a grim indication that we as a country have lost our way. The U.S. ranks last overall among industrialized countries with a maternal death rate of 20.1 per 100,000 pregnancies, and the rate is rising. The crisis for people of color in this country is even more acute. Despite advances in reproductive technologies and safe motherhood initiatives, hospitals do not keep Black women and people who are pregnant or recently gave birth safe during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. (Karen A. Scott and Monica R. Mclemore, 5/9)

Chicago Tribune: Suit Up Grandma Like A Football Player, Save Billions In Health Care Costs
Like any brilliant idea, this one emerged from a personal incident. Because I have arthritis in my knees, and my frequent bending down to tend to my dog, or to retrieve fumbled items, I’ve lately been wearing knee pads. Turns out that my joints love their protection, and along with the lessening of knee pain, the pads stabilize my legs. When wearing them, I feel as sturdy as a bouncer at a bar. (Elaine Soloway, 5/7)