Frontier Nursing University (FNU) and the Campion Fund announced plans for a conference focused on the nation’s maternal mortality crisis. “Reducing Maternal Mortality: Strategies That Work!” will be held on Thursday, September 19, with 300 spots available for online attendees.
This research-oriented conference focuses on identifying and describing programs and practices that successfully reduce maternal mortality rates, essential for improving maternal health in the United States. According to 2022 data from the CDC, more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. from 2017-2019 were preventable by improving health care practices.
“Maternal mortality is a critical public health issue, but there are effective ways to address this crisis,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “This conference aims to identify and describe programs and practices that have successfully reduced maternal mortality rates.”
Maternal mortality rates are alarmingly high for all women, with non-Hispanic Black women experiencing maternal mortality at more than 2.5 times the rate of white women. Contributing factors include limited access to care, insufficient financial resources and insurance, racial discrimination, cultural insensitivity, undocumented status, chronic medical conditions, mental health issues, pregnancy complications, addiction, restrictive laws, and partner abuse and violence.
“This conference must examine all sides of maternal mortality because this complex issue is a result of many contributing factors,” Dr. Stone said. “By bringing together interdisciplinary leaders in this field, we will accelerate the process of addressing the root causes of maternal mortality in the U.S.”
In addition to featured keynote speakers, who will be announced at a later date, FNU is also calling for abstracts and poster presentations. Abstracts for 15-minute oral and poster presentations will be showcased at the conference. Presenters are required to be onsite. The abstract should be 500 words or less, clearly describing the program, including interventions, geographic areas, populations served, program duration, types of providers, number of individuals served, and outcome measurements. Abstracts should specify the number of individuals who completed the program and their responses to interventions. Abstracts should also highlight accomplishments, impact assessments, future plans, and how the program contributes to reducing maternal mortality. All proposals for abstracts or posters should be submitted online at frontier.edu/mmc by May 31. A $500 honorarium will be offered to those selected for oral presentations.
Registration for the conference is also available at frontier.edu/mmc. Virtual participation is $49. Any current student attending a higher education institution may attend the conference at no cost.
