Institute of Politics

Join Chicago Style for a conversation on maternal health disparities in Chicago led by Dr. Ann Borders, Dr. Micere Keels and Dr. Loren Saulsberry. Dr. Borders serves as the executive director and Obstetric Lead of the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Keels is the founding director of the Trauma Responsive Educational Practices project, which seeks to improve the lives of young people in areas of chronic stress and high crime. She is also an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago’s Comparative Human Development Department. Dr. Saulsberry is the assistant program leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program within the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center and the assistant director of Diversity Studies in the UChicago Center for Personalized Therapeutics.

Black mothers are approximately three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, while indigenous women in urban settings are 4.5 times more likely. Our conversation will cover how structural and interpersonal racism contribute to these disparities in maternal health outcomes and medical care in general. It will provide an overview of trends in maternal health, causes of disparities in outcomes, and their impact on individuals and their communities. Finally, Dr. Borders and Dr. Keels will address potential solutions, in and beyond Chicago, for both the medical community and on a policy level.

The event will also include a brief note from Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02), who co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Black Women And Girls and was an instrumental part of the historic Black Maternal Health MomnibusAct of 2021.

Chicago Style is a student-led event series centered on local issues. We encourage students to engage with the Chicago and Illinois community beyond campus.