Westchester County has announced a new health initiative to address inequities in Black maternal and child health.
Nearly $1 million will be invested in the Lower Hudson Valley Prenatal Network, St. John's Riverside Hospital and Birth from the Earth.

The Health Department funds will be used to expand at-home programs for expecting Black mothers, to put them in touch with health care services, and to provide implicit bias training to maternity staff and medical students.

Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler says inequities in care are resulting in shorter lifespans for Black people. “We hope to help Black mothers and infants make measurable improvements to their health by assuring they have access to quality care before, and after, birth.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.