ProPublica reporter Nina Martin has been investigating maternal care and preventable deaths in the U.S. for over a year. Her recent story is “A Larger Role for Midwives Could Improve Deficient U.S. Care for Mothers and Babies.” States that give midwives a greater role in patient care achieve better results in maternal and neonatal health. Martin looks at why the midwife model is controversial in the U.S. in spite of this data. She also examines how midwives focus on community-based care, close relationships between providers and patients and avoiding unnecessary interventions. Laura Zeidenstein, Associate Professor of Nursing at Columbia University Medical Center and Director of the Nurse Midwifery Program also joins the conversation.
This segment is guest hosted by Mary Harris.