For Healthcare Providers

In October 2021, the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors approved a work plan to expand perinatal programs serving Black birthing people. The goal of the Perinatal Equity Working Group, established in March of 2022, is to convene healthcare partners from across the county to develop and implement actionable steps to improve birth equity. The Working Group currently has representation from all birthing hospitals in Santa Clara County, public health programs, community clinics, and the Hospital Council. Members include physicians, nurses, government relations, and hospital administration. 

Our current focus:

• Identify and map what hospitals are doing to address health disparities among African/African Ancestry women (landscape analysis) and identify new opportunities or areas of interest among partners.     
• Obtain data to evaluate and monitor perinatal equity among partner hospitals and healthcare systems. 
• Support partners in establishing and maintaining equity-focused institutional activities to improve the experiences of Black birthing people.

To learn more about the Perinatal Equity Working Group, email [email protected].

Want to help support your African/African Ancestry patients? Refer them to the Black Infant Health Program at (408) 937-2270 or their website.

Perinatal Equity Conference 2023

The County of Santa Clara Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI) is a state-funded program that aims to address the root causes of the persistent, inequitable birth outcomes and health disparities of Black mothers and their babies. PEI works with hospital and community partners to develop and implement policy and system change strategies in perinatal care settings. Working at the systemic level is the best way to reduce the impact of implicit bias and discrimination on the quality of care and birth outcomes for African/African Ancestry women.

One of the PEI strategies is to host a virtual perinatal equity conference for medical providers, and others who care for Black birthing people, during Black Maternal Health Week. The goals of the conference are to increase awareness of the bias and outcome disparities experienced by Black birthing persons, to share local perinatal health data to inform system change strategies, highlight best practices, and promote cross-system sharing. 

Register for the free and virtual Perinatal Equity Conference, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Presentations by Ronald Wyatt, M.D., M.H.A, Paris Scott, M.D., Amanda P. Williams, M.D., M.P.H., FACOG, and Monica McLemore, R.N., Ph.D., FAAN
• Approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing for 3.5 contact hours, Provider Number 12849
• Registration closes at 8 a.m. on Friday, April 7, 2023
• Email [email protected] for more information.