MFHS President and CEO Maria Montoro Edwards, PhD, has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee.

The Maternal Mortality Review Committee works to evaluate cases of maternal death in the state in order to better understand the causes. By better understanding the causes of these deaths, the committee then reports on methods of increased awareness and prevention. The insights of the committee are distributed to government officials and healthcare providers, with the goal of preventing future maternal deaths.

Maternal health is a vitally important public health issue in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as maternal deaths are rising and that minority populations are disproportionately affected. Maternal deaths are a serious public health concern and have a tremendous family and societal impact. Maternal deaths are significantly underestimated and inadequately documented, preventing efforts to identify and reduce or eliminate these mortalities within our society.

As a member of the committee, Dr. Montoro Edwards will have an integral role as a collaborator in a multidisciplinary review of maternal deaths and develop recommendations for the prevention of maternal mortality.