Senator Bill Weber today sent the attached letter to Commissioner of the NYS Department of Health regarding the recent troubling audit on Maternal Health done by the NYS Comptroller.
Among the alarming findings was that “DOH found for every 100,000 babies born, 54.7 Black mothers die during or after childbirth in New York. This is a rate over four times higher than white mothers who experience about 11.2 deaths for every 100,000 babies born. While DOH collects this data, it does little to utilize it. The audit found DOH needs to thoroughly analyze this data and share it with partners to help determine whether its efforts are working and guide how it moves forward.” (source: https://www.osc.ny.gov/press/releases/2024/08/dinapoli-new-york-must-do-more-reduce-maternal-deaths)
“With the amount of money New York spends annually and asks its taxpayers to fork over each year, it is unfathomable to me that the severe maternal health issues outlined by the Comptroller still exist in New York today,” said Senator Bill Weber. “With all due respect, how is this possible?,” Weber asked.