Penn School of Nursing professor Rebecca Clark was appointed to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee on Sept. 19.
Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health selected committee members from across the state who represent different areas of medical expertise. Clark, who is a professor of perinatal nursing, midwifery, and women’s health in the Department of Family and Community Health, was appointed as a registered nurse representing maternal health care.
Clark is also core faculty at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, a senior fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, and the nurse scientist at Pennsylvania Hospital.
The Committee was established by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 2018, with the mission of reviewing all maternal deaths in the state, identifying their causes, and taking steps to reduce both these preventable deaths related to pregnancy and racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes.
Clark told The Daily Pennsylvanian that she is excited to join the committee. She said that she has been interested in the Maternal Mortality Review Committee since its establishment in 2018. That year, the CDC Foundation also released a report on the work of similar committees in nine other states.
Clark previously worked as a midwife. She said that she felt she wasn't able to give the quality of care she hoped for in that capacity, which led her to pursue research.
Her research has focused on racial inequities within organizational and communication factors in health settings. Presently, she is researching hospitals where Black mothers have similar or better health outcomes to white mothers, and seeing how other hospitals could replicate their practices.
Clark noted that while most maternal deaths are preventable, "we can't prevent all of the bad things," and that improved communication and support are crucial in those instances.
"Communication is a leading root cause of preventable maternal mortality," she said.
Adding to Clark, the committee will work to address these communication gaps by reviewing cases of maternity mortality and making recommendations for change. She added that she is excited to contribute her background as a nurse and midwife, as well as her passion for addressing injustice and inequity.
“I’m just planning on being there as the person that I am, and hoping that will be able to help us review these cases," Clark said. "I know I’ll be able to contribute.”
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