Arkansas is 47th in the nation in health system performance, according to the Commonwealth Fund 2023 Scorecard. Arkansas has the highest maternal mortality rate and the third-highest infant mortality rate in the nation. This ranking has prompted legislation to take action against several public health issues, including maternal mortality.
Arkansas Representative Mary Bentley joined AFMC TV this week to discuss maternal health. Rep. Bentley’s history includes a passion and drive to support efforts that increase maternal health outcomes for Arkansas women.
“Arkansas legislation understands that Arkansas is one of the lowest-ranking states in overall health — 48th out of the 50 states,” she says. “Many public health issues have arisen because of that ranking, primarily maternal health. Unhealthy women make unhealthy moms and babies.”
While it won’t happen overnight, there are things that state leaders can do to make a difference and get the community engaged in initiatives that positively impact public health.
The Arkansas Maternal Mortality Committee
Changing the trajectory of Arkansas’ maternal health outcomes will not be easy. But, with a few initiatives already in place, we are moving in the right direction.
“The first thing we had to find out was why moms are dying at such an alarming rate,” Rep. Bentley says. “If you don’t find out why, you can’t fix it.” To help combat maternal mortality, female legislators came together and passed legislation in 2019 to start the Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee (AMMRC) with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The AMMRC aims to identify factors that lead to poor maternal health outcomes through data collection and analysis of clinical factors, preventable actions, and social determinants of health. They then use this data to make recommendations that will increase maternal mortality and morbidity statewide.
“We immediately began seeing that women were having issues with [postpartum] hemorrhaging,” Rep. Bentley says. “So, physicians across the state have begun implementing safety bundles to ensure they are taking the right precautions.”
Safety bundles are evidence-informed guides developed by a multidisciplinary team of experts. The bundles provide best practices for treating clinically specific conditions in pregnant and postpartum people.
Arkansas legislation is making progress, and the AMMRC is sharing some great information on lasting changes we can make to improve health outcomes statewide.
The Arkansas Strategic Committee for Maternal Health
Governor Sanders recently put forth a proclamation to form the Arkansas Strategic Committee for Maternal Health. The committee will consist of ADH Secretary Renee Mallory, DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam, Arkansas Surgeon General (and OBGYN) Dr. Kay Chandler, and other key stakeholders and participants. The workgroup will provide Governor Sanders and the Arkansas legislature with policy and budget recommendations to address Arkansas’ maternal mortality rate.
Lifestyle Changes Make a Difference.
“Healthy women make healthy moms,” Rep. Bentley says. “That means we need to pass out good information and provide good education about healthy lifestyle changes and how these initiatives are important.”
“We passed some legislation lately to determine why breastfeeding is important for the mom and the infant over their lifetime. So, those are things we can do now educationally to change our culture and make things better,” Rep. Bentley says.
Rural Health Access
While the rural population in Arkansas has declined over the last decade, several rural pockets of the state still lack reliable access to healthcare. “There are resources that moms have in Little Rock and Fayetteville that they don’t have in more rural parts of the state,” Rep. Bentley says. “Some women have to wait over a year to get an appointment with an OBGYN. That’s too long.”
Nearly half of the counties in Arkansas (37) are classified as maternity care deserts. An additional 11 counties are classified as having low or moderate access to maternal care.
Hospital closures have also caused a shortage of obstetricians and delivery rooms in the state. “In the past year, we’ve lost three hospitals that were delivering that no longer have maternity wards and are no longer delivering babies,” Rep. Bentley says. “This presents mothers with a huge hurdle they have to overcome to deliver babies safely and receive aid from an OBGYN.”
Methods to Increase Access
Arkansas legislature has begun to explore ways to ensure women in rural Arkansas have the same access to resources that women in urban areas have. “One great thing we can do is look at what other states are doing,” Rep. Bentley says. “We can ask, what are they doing better than we are? What are they doing that we’re not doing?”
“One thing we’ve seen a lot of other states do is increase the number of nurse midwives that can deliver and assist physicians. So, I’m working now to get more certified nurse midwives in the state to fill the gap,” Rep. Bentley says. “Those physicians and OBGYNs that we have can be team leaders and help create more healthcare opportunities for women in rural Arkansas.”
Some women may choose to see a nurse midwife instead of a provider. Rep. Bentley says Arkansas legislation is looking for ways to provide women with that option in hospitals. “Other states also have birth centers, and we don’t. So, we’re looking into the reasons for that, too.”
Celebrating Motherhood While Increasing Maternal Outcomes
While the statistics can be hard to take in, May will be a big month for Arkansas women statewide. “May is Women’s Health Month. Senator Missy Irvin gathered with a group of our female legislators to discuss holding a session on the Capitol steps to launch Women’s Health Month and get the community engaged,” Rep. Bentley says.
“We want to raise awareness about what we can do in our state to make things better, so we’re holding an event to bring people together.” This event will include food trucks, music, yoga, on-site mammograms, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, and booths from local businesses and stakeholders teaching women how to be healthy moms.
The event aims to help women begin a journey to better health during the month of May. The launch event will occur from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Arkansas state capitol. It is free for anyone to attend, regardless of age or location. “If you can’t make it to the Capitol steps, we have events going on throughout the entire month at each of our health units across the state,” Rep. Bentley says.
“You can stop by any of those locations and pick up a health journal to record your blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight. We hope that doing this will motivate women to begin a journey to improve their health.”
“To help give women a head start, we’re also encouraging local public and private businesses across the state will also provide women discounts for bringing in their health journals,” Rep. Bentley says.
“I hope this event will encourage women to eat healthy together, start walking together, and make healthy choices. Sometimes, if you have a friend who encourages you to make good choices, they can help make it happen.”
Arkansas legislators and community leaders remain confident that we can work together to improve the health of our women across the state. The event at the Capitol will be the perfect way to jump-start this initiative. The Arkansas Strategic Committee for Maternal Health will also be at the event to encourage attendees and others across the state to focus on improving maternal health during the month of May.
“Mother’s Day is in May, so this is a good month to raise awareness for maternal health. We can all encourage each other to get on that journey of health to make things better, and that’s what it’s about,” Rep. Bentley says.
“We have many small businesses across the state, and I know small businesses love a reason to get people in their doors, so we encourage them to offer whatever incentive they want for people to stop by with their health journals. If we can get everyone engaged and involved, we can make a real difference across our state.”
Check out the MOM Facebook page for more information and updates on the Arkansas Month of May event.
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