Maternal health, workforce resiliency bills clear committee

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions passed three bills to improve maternal health and support front-line health care workers. The Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act (S. 1675) would fund programs that develop and disseminate best practices to improve maternal outcomes. The Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services Act (S. 1491 /H.R. 769) would authorize grants to implement obstetric networks, maternal telehealth programs and a maternal care training demonstration for providers in rural settings, and improve related data collection efforts. The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S. 610), would authorize grants to create programs that offer behavioral health services for front-line workers and launch a campaign encouraging health care workers to seek assistance when needed. The American Hospital Association (AHA) supported all three pieces of legislation. (AHA news article, 5/25/21)