Elizabeth Howell

How we can improve maternal healthcare - before, during and after pregnancy

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About Elizabeth Howell

Elizabeth Howell is committed to improving the health and well-being of women. An expert in quality of care and racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and child health, Elizabeth's research focuses on postpartum depression and its impact on underserved communities, as well as the intersection between quality of care and disparities in maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. She has conducted extensive research on maternal morbidity and mortality in New York City and the shockingly prevalent racial and ethnic disparities that exist. Elizabeth is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. As the founding Director of the Blavatnik Family Women’s Health Research Institute at Mount Sinai, Elizabeth is building a competitive research program that advances the science of women’s health across the life span. She has served on several expert committees for organizations including the National Academy of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, the Joint Commission, and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

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About This Talk

Every year in the United States, over 60,000 women suffer a severe, life-altering complication during childbirth, and 700 to 900 women die from a pregnancy related cause. Elizabeth Howell, OBGYN and expert on maternal health, explains that these complications, often resulting from treatable ailments like blood clots and hemorrhages, are far too preventable to produce such staggering outcomes. Even more shocking is the clear racial disparity to these outcomes, as black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to suffer a pregnancy related death than white women, even when controlling for social factors. Elizabeth believes that, to permanently mend this gap, every hospital must adopt standardized procedures to assure high quality maternal health care from contraception to post-pregnancy. 

Elizabeth is leading the way to make high quality care at childbirth a standard practice for every mother. Watch Elizabeth’s TEDMED 2018 Talk to discover how preparing for preventable complications, addressing racial bias in care, and educating and supporting mothers throughout pregnancy can save countless lives each day.

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