Penn Medicine is showing how targeted health equity efforts can save lives. In Philadelphia, where Black women face four times the risk of dying from pregnancy-related complications compared with white women, Penn Medicine implemented a system-wide strategy that reduced pregnancy complications among Black patients by nearly 30 percent in its first year.
From 2013 to 2018, Black women accounted for 43 percent of births in the city but 73 percent of pregnancy-related deaths—more than 80 percent of which were considered preventable. Postpartum hemorrhage, the leading driver of maternal mortality, was especially deadly for Black mothers. Penn leaders responded by making maternal health equity a formal organizational goal, tying progress to executive compensation and requiring collaboration across its five birthing hospitals.
The initiative included evidence-based protocols for hemorrhage prevention, standardized metrics for tracking severe maternal morbidity, and mandatory anti-bias training for staff. Clinicians also analyzed complication rates by race and used standardized case reports to better understand disparities. The approach did not require major new funding but relied on coordination, accountability, and consistent practice changes.
The results were striking. Pregnancy-related complications fell 29.4 percent across the system, with one hospital reporting a nearly 50 percent decline. Philadelphia’s postpartum hemorrhage death rate is now below the national average, due in part to Penn’s role in delivering half the city’s births. Encouraged by this progress, Penn has expanded its health equity goals to include Indigenous and Hispanic patients, aiming to make the improvements permanent.
See: “Penn Medicine’s 4-step approach to reducing maternal health disparities” (March 11, 2025)
