FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

City of Stamford

Monday, March 13, 2023

Contact:

Lauren Meyer

203-977-5115

lmeyer@stamfordct.gov

MAYOR SIMMONS TESTIFIES IN SUPPORT OF MATERNAL HEALTH LEGISLATION 

Stamford, CT – Today, Mayor Caroline Simmons testified via Zoom at the Connecticut General Assembly’s Public Health Committee public hearing in support of Senate Bill No. 986, “An Act Protecting Maternal Health.” This bill would implement the Governor’s budget recommendations seeking to increase access to maternal health services, specifically licensing free-standing birth centers, creating a certification pathway for doulas, and directing state agencies to design a statewide program for universal nurse home visiting.

Mayor Simmons’s full testimony can be found below:

TESTIMONY PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE

Monday, March 13, 2023

S.B. 986, “An Act Protecting Maternal Health”

Good morning, co-chairs Anwar and McCarthy Vahey, vice chairs Kushner, Marx, and Parker, ranking members Somers and Klarides-Ditria, and members of the Public Health Committee. My name is Caroline Simmons, and I am the Mayor of the City of Stamford. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you and testify in support of S.B. 986, “An Act Protecting Maternal Health.”

As the mother of three boys, I am eternally grateful for the quality healthcare I received at Stamford Hospital while I was in labor. Unfortunately, too many women across Connecticut do not have access to the same type of care due to several factors, including rising costs and the closure of labor and delivery facilities.

Data consistently shows that the United States maternal mortality rate is more than three times the rate in most other high-income countries. In 2020, the maternal mortality rate was 24 deaths per 100,000 births and overall, pregnancy-associated deaths increased from 2018 through 2020 among all races and age groups. Women of color and Black women continue to experience higher rates of maternal mortality, at 41.4%, and are at greater risk for preterm births, low birthweight births, and often receive little to no prenatal care.

Lack of equitable access to healthcare resources and providers contributes to these disparities and this legislation seeks to address this by proposing to license birth centers. Doing so would allow for free-standing birth centers to open in Connecticut and provide more choices for women than traditional hospitals.

This bill also proposes a certification pathway for doulas to ensure these healthcare professionals can be part of a birthing care team. Doulas provide continuous physical and emotional support throughout labor and delivery, as well as during the postpartum period. The Governor’s proposed workgroup to recommend certification pathways for midwives and an Infant Mortality Review Program to study infant deaths ensures we are actively prioritizing addressing these health disparities in Connecticut.

As women’s rights and healthcare access continue to be under attack in many states across the country, the measures included in this bill ensures Connecticut is a leader in recognizing maternal health as a public health priority and I urge the committee to support S.B. 986, “An Act Protecting Maternal Health.”

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Mayor Caroline Simmons