Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles is facing heat and is currently under federal investigation for how Black women are treated during birth at the facility.
The investigation follows the 2016 death of Kira Dixon Johnson from internal bleeding following a C-section as she was giving birth. The baby survived after the procedure. Charles Johnson IV, her widower, said the probe has been in the works for a while and is a crucial step toward transparency and responsibility.
According to the lawsuit, Johnson’s civil rights were violated, and she was denied medical care due to her race, “which resulted in her untimely and wrongful death.”
“I am extremely proud that HHS is going forward with this (investigation); that they are taking it seriously and this has been I think an extremely long time coming,” Charles Johnson stated. “This investigation is a very important step toward accountability, transparency, and ultimately, an important step in making sure that families from all walks of life receive the safe, dignified, respectful care that they deserve not only in maternal health but healthcare as a whole.”
Cedars stated in a statement that it is troubled by the racial gaps in maternal care and is making efforts to fix the problem.
“Cedars-Sinai clinicians, leaders and researchers have long been concerned with national disparities in Black maternal health, and we are proud of the work we’ve done (and continue to do) to address these issues in Los Angeles as well as at the state and national levels,” a Cedars-Sinai Medical Center spokesperson stated.
For decades, black women’s maternal mortality rates in the US have been climbing drastically, according to a previous CNN study. According to the CDC, Black mothers will be nearly three times more likely than White mothers to pass away from pregnancy-related problems in 2021, with 69.9 fatalities per 100,000 live births.
TV One’s upcoming suspense film, A Mother’s Intuition follows a mother played by Denise Boutte who has just lost her husband suddenly, is informed that her newborn baby was stillborn. However, she suspects a switched-at-birth cover-up involving the very professionals she had faith in to take care of her.
Not only does A Mother’s Intuition focus on the alarming issue of how Black women are mistreated in hospitals while prenatal, and giving birth, but the upcoming film examines tough issues such as maternal mortality rates, racial disparities in healthcare, and mental health, which all have severely heavy effects on Black women!
To see just how we tackles this prevalent issue, watch A Mother’s Intuition, Sunday, July 23rd at 9P/8C. Be sure to check out our social media accounts, as we will also host a live discussing Black maternal mortality rates, the treatment of Black mothers giving birth in hospitals, and more.
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