Mobile Metropolitan Medical Society provides support for women’s blood pressure monitoring program
“The generous donation from the Mobile Metropolitan Medical Society has the potential to immediately save the lives of women who have complications following childbirth,” said Debbie Browning, M.S.N., RN, CENP, chief executive officer of Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
By Casandra Andrews
candrews@health.southalabama.edu
Members of the Mobile Metropolitan Medical Society recently donated more than $6,500 for a program launched by USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital to supply blood pressure cuffs to women at risk of developing life-threatening health issues, including preeclampsia, following childbirth.
“We are so grateful to Dr. Eddrice McMullan and all the members of the Mobile Metropolitan Medical Society as they work with us to eliminate health inequities in our community and beyond,” said Vicki Curtis, M.S.N., RN, chief nursing officer at Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “The money they raised is already helping new mothers monitor their blood pressure from home in the weeks after they give birth.”
McMullan, a retired USA Health physician and president of the MMMS, along with other members of the society, recently hosted a screening of the documentary “Aftershock” to help educate community leaders and healthcare providers about the unacceptable rates of maternal mortality and specifically the disproportionate number of Black women dying — nearly four times the rate of white women in Alabama. They also host the event Brunch with a Purpose to raise money for healthcare projects in the community.
The maternal mortality rate continues to remain at elevated levels in much of the United States and is particularly high in the South. In Alabama, the mortality rate is 36.2 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births, while the U.S. rate is 20.4 for every 100,000, giving Alabama the third-worst rate in the nation, data shows.
The Women’s Services Division at Children’s & Women’s Hospital is working to address maternal health disparities in the community. Among its recent initiatives is Hero4Mom, a postpartum blood pressure monitoring program that sends mothers home with blood pressure cuffs following childbirth.
Research shows that only about 40% of women return for follow-up checks after childbirth, Curtis said. Unfortunately, high blood pressure following childbirth can be a sign that a new mom needs to seek medical care. Because many people do not have access to blood pressure cuffs to monitor that vital sign in the weeks following delivery, the Hero4Mom initiative aims to put more tools in the hands of those who need it most.
“The generous donation from the Mobile Metropolitan Medical Society has the potential to immediately save the lives of women who have complications following childbirth,” said Debbie Browning, M.S.N., RN, CENP, the chief executive officer of Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “We are incredibly grateful for their leadership and service around this lifesaving project and look forward to their continued partnership.”
The Mobile Metropolitan Medical Society is a service organization of female physicians of African descent practicing in the central Gulf Coast of Alabama. It seeks to provide collaborative and collective approaches to advance and promote health and wellness in the community.
