Black women in Philadelphia face maternal death rates four times higher than white women, but a comprehensive hospital system intervention shows these tragic disparities can be reversed.
Penn Medicine, which delivers roughly half of all births in Philadelphia, launched a system-wide initiative in fiscal year 2021 targeting Black maternal mortality and morbidity. The results proved swift and significant: pregnancy complications among Black patients dropped 29.4% in just the first year, with one hospital achieving a 48% reduction.
The approach combined four key elements. First, CEO Kevin Mahoney tied health equity goals directly to executive compensation for over 600 leaders, ensuring accountability at the highest levels. Second, clinical teams analyzed complication data by race, discovering that obstetric hemorrhage drove many preventable deaths. Third, mandatory anti-racism and implicit bias training helped staff recognize how biases affect care delivery. Fourth, standardized evidence-based protocols for hemorrhage prevention were implemented across all five birthing hospitals.
Between 2013 and 2018, Black women represented 43% of Philadelphia births but suffered 73% of pregnancy-related deaths. More than 80% of these deaths were preventable. Philadelphia’s postpartum hemorrhage death rate now sits below the national average, likely reflecting Penn Medicine’s deliberate efforts.
The initiative’s success prompted expansion in fiscal year 2022 to include Indigenous and other patients of color. Director of Nursing Alyssa Livengood Waite noted the trainings brought “engaged participation” in making equitable change across facilities, transforming isolated efforts into comprehensive system-wide commitment.
See: “Penn Medicine’s 4-step approach to reducing maternal health disparities” (March 11, 2025)
