Maternal care crisis gives way to new health system executive roles
A growing number of hospitals and health systems have expanded their C-suite ranks in the last few years to include leaders dedicated to advancing maternal and infant health, reflecting a new level of urgency as hospitals work to address longstanding disparities in outcomes and prepare for a projected rise in high-risk pregnancies.
Leaders in newly created roles are charged with developing strategies to expand access to high-quality obstetrical care and building partnerships with community providers to better coordinate care for new and expecting mothers.
This comes as the nation’s maternal death rate remains among the highest of any developed country, with more than 800 women dying each year from pregnancy-related causes, according to March of Dimes’ latest annual report card on maternal and infant health. In 2022, the U.S. recorded 22 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, down from a peak during the pandemic though still higher than the pre-pandemic rate of 20 in 2019. Black women die from pregnancy-related causes at rates more than double those of white women, according to the data.
Most recently on Aug. 18, NYC Health + Hospitals appointed Wendy Wilcox, MD — a prominent expert in maternal mortality — as chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Woodhull Hospital in New York City’s Brooklyn borough. She was also appointed as the system’s inaugural chief women’s health officer in 2021. In her expanded role, she will oversee the growth of labor and delivery services at Woodhull while continuing to lead systemwide initiatives, including programs that connect pregnant patients with social workers and support services, and efforts to expand postpartum and cardio-obstetric care.
In 2024, Katharine O’Connell White, MD, was named OB-GYN chief of Boston Medical Center, a role in which she leads efforts to eliminate disparities in outcomes and expand access to patient-centered reproductive health services.
Sarosh Rana, MD, was selected to serve as UChicago Medicine’s first chief obstetrical transformation officer in 2023 — a role that stood out as among the first C-level health system positions created to address a distinct form of health equity. Dr. Rana previously led the system’s maternal-fetal medicine division, where she developed a postpartum hypertension program that closed racial gaps in follow-up visits and improved patient outcomes. In her current role, she is working to expand those efforts systemwide and deepen partnerships with safety-net hospitals and federally qualified health centers to broaden access to obstetrical care.
The executive positions have emerged against the backdrop of a complex maternal health landscape. While birth rates decline nationally, more patients are entering pregnancy with chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, raising the risk for complications. Sg2, a Vizient company, projects a rise in high-risk pregnancies over the next decade. At the same time, hospital closures and maternity care deserts have left large gaps in access, particularly in rural and low-income areas.
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