NIAGARA FALLS, NY — Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center’s (NFMMC) P3 Center will host UPLIFTING Black Maternal Health on April 11, 2023, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Niagara Falls Train Station (825 Depot Ave) to recognize Black Maternal Health Week. The public event aims to raise awareness about the disproportionate maternal health disparities affecting Black mothers.
The free event features keynote speaker Fatima Mathews, founder of Strong Heart 2 Soul, who will lead a discussion on cardiac health, and plenary speaker Dr. Davina Moss, founder and president of Positive Direction and Associates, Inc., who will discuss maternal mental health. The event will also include community-based doula panel discussions, yoga, healing art, and an optional paid tour of the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center. A complimentary lunch will be provided by event sponsor Williamson Funeral Home.
The UPLIFTING Black Maternal Health event is part of Black Maternal Health Week, sponsored by The Black Mamas Matter Alliance, observed during National Minority Health Month in April. The week’s goal is to amplify Black mothers’ voices and center the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements.
Maternal morbidity and mortality rates in the United States are significantly higher than in other developed countries. In 2020, Black women died from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth at three times the rate of White women. Research has shown that structural racism, implicit bias in healthcare, and underlying chronic conditions contribute to these disparities. Additionally, Black mothers are more likely to suffer from Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders in silence and without clinical help. Healthcare providers, community agencies, lawmakers, and community members must work together to address these issues.
UPLIFTING Black Maternal Health is presented in partnership with Action for Niagara Families, a community action board organized by the P3 Center. To register for the event, please contact Eileen Kineke at (716) 278-4274 before April 5.
ABOUT THE P3 CENTER
The P3 Center is NFMMC’s perinatal and infant community health initiative, featuring community health worker services made possible by the NYS Department of Health Perinatal & Infant Community Health Collaboratives grant, community-based doula services made possible by a grant from the Blue Fund and a contract with Amerigroup, and NYS Baby Bundles made possible by the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Initiative (PDGB5), Grant Number 90TP005901, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
ABOUT NIAGARA FALLS MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER
Founded in 1895, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center (NFMMC) has a long tradition of serving the Niagara community. NFMMC’s hospital and primary stroke program are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, and its primary care network is accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Memorial’s inpatient services include a cardiac/stroke unit, a medical–surgical unit, an ICU, a Labor and Delivery unit, and an Adult Inpatient Psychiatry unit, the only one of its kind in Niagara County. Memorial serves as a Center for Community Health by operating five primary care centers, a large outpatient adult mental health clinic, a Health Home, and several innovative community-based services. Thanks to a partnership with Catholic Health, Kaleida Health, and Erie County Medical Center, NFMMC operates the only cardiac catheterization laboratory in Niagara County. Memorial is also home to the Golisano Medical Oncology Center, which operates in collaboration with Roswell Park Comprehensive Care Center.
