The Connecticut Health Foundation has released a new statewide blueprint aimed at advancing maternal health equity and reducing severe, preventable pregnancy-related complications. Although Connecticut is considered one of the country’s healthiest states, it ranks in the bottom half nationally for severe maternal morbidity, underscoring urgent health challenges that disproportionately affect Black women.
The blueprint highlights steps to cut the rate of severe maternal morbidity among Black women by 50 percent within three years. It calls for coordinated action from Connecticut policymakers, health systems, community-based organizations, philanthropy, and other stakeholders to eliminate longstanding disparities in maternal health outcomes. Tiffany Donelson, president and CEO of the Connecticut Health Foundation, emphasized the human impact and the need for collective action. “This blueprint grew out of both data and stories. We’ve seen the data that shows there are tremendous inequities in maternal health outcomes. We’ve also heard from so many people who experienced life-threatening complications during and after pregnancy, who felt unheard while getting care, who are afraid to grow their families because of how dangerous it can be… The health and well-being of all our families and our state’s future depend on it.”
Developed by researchers and clinical leaders from Yale’s Equity Research and Innovation Center and the Yale Global Health Leadership Initiative, the plan integrates lived experience, scientific research, and community input. Advisory committee chair Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, associate dean for health equity research at Yale School of Medicine, noted its broader vision. “This blueprint is more than a plan - it is a bold invitation to reimagine what equitable maternal health systems can be… health equity is not just an aspiration - it is the standard.”
The foundation will next convene partners across Connecticut to begin implementing year-one actions and support ongoing maternal health equity efforts statewide.
