Westchester Reporter

Westchester County recently held its second Birth Equity Improvement Project Town Hall at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. The event aimed to advance birth equity throughout the county.

The program featured updates from White Plains Hospital, New York-Presbyterian Westchester, and New York-Presbyterian Hudson Valley on their initiatives. It also included reports on maternal mortality and birth statistics from the New York State Department of Health and information on perinatal wellness resources in the county. Community partners and advocacy agencies shared testimonials, followed by a public Q&A session.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer emphasized the importance of addressing disparities in maternal healthcare: “This is 2024. We have made so much progress in healthcare from transplants to robotics to cancer prevention and treatment. How is it possible that we are leaving women of color going through pregnancy and childbirth behind? We cannot and will not. We must address these disparities to ensure safer, more equitable care for all women in Westchester County.”

County Legislator Jewel Williams Johnson highlighted the need for action beyond discussions: “We are looking forward to our second Town Hall on this issue on Thursday. These Town Halls are a call to action for measures that go beyond discussions to address implicit bias... Our Birth Equity Town Halls further needed improvements and progress within our County."

Dr. Sherlita Amler, County Health Commissioner, stated her commitment to addressing birth equity: “As the County Health Commissioner, I am dedicated to ensuring the health and well-being of every single resident in Westchester County... No mother or baby should suffer from inadequate care because of racial bias and lack of economic resources.”

Robi Schlaff, Director of the Office for Women, noted Westchester's proactive stance: “Westchester County has been at the forefront of investigating and responding to equity issues in maternal mortality and morbidity... we have put funding for programs to improve outcomes for Black maternal health.”

Sarah DeRise, Co-Chair of the Women's Advisory Board, stressed awareness as key: “The WAB helped to identify birth equity as a major issue affecting women in the County... Events like these are imperative to making the shift towards better outcomes for black and brown birthing women."