WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after the House passed the Maternal Health Improvement Act of 2020 by voice vote this week. The legislation aims to address the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis facing rural communities nationwide by expanding convenient and consistent access to healthcare services for pregnant women and new mothers in remote areas.
“Since elected to Congress, I’ve been fighting to make sure New Mexicans can receive healthcare close to home. For expectant mothers in rural communities, bringing a healthy child safely into the world often means driving hours for prenatal appointments and stretching budgets to cover the necessary care. That is why I have continued to raise the alarm on this issue and fought to introduce legislation that expands telehealth access and brings additional OB/GYNs into rural communities,” said Torres Small. “This vote is an im portant step towards expanding healthcare in rural communities and I will continue to fight to get this legislation over the finish line in the Senate.”
Specifically, the Maternal Health Improvement Act of 2020 includes the following provisions from Rep. Torres Small’s bipartisan Rural MOMS Act:
• Improves Rural Maternal and Obstetric
Care Data by directing the CDC to coordinate efforts with respect to maternal mortality and morbidity.
• Rewards New Rural Obstetric Network Grants to establish regional innovation networks to improve maternal mortality and morbidity as well as birth outcomes.
• Expands Existing Federal Telehealth Grant Programs to include birth and postpartum services as part of telehealth networks and to allow federal funding to be used for ultrasound machines, fetal monitoring equipment, and other pregnancy-related technology.
• Establishes a New Rural Maternal and Obstetric Care Training Demonstration to support training for family medicine physicians, obstetricians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, midwives, doulas, and other professionals to provide maternal care services in rural communitybased settings.
To read more about the Maternal Health Improvement Act of 2020, visit https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20200921/BILLS-116hr4995-SUS.pdf