Education and outreach program focused on reducing racial bias to improve birth and maternal health outcomes for Black families

San Diego County CA— San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher and San Diego County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten announced the launch of Black Legacy Now, the education and outreach campaign suporting the County’s Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI). Funded by legislation passed in 2018 and managed by the County Health and Human Services Agency, Black Legacy Now aims to improve health outcomes for Black mothers and babies in the region.
Black infants in San Diego County are three times more likely to die and 60 percent more likely to be premature than White infants, according to California Department of Health Data. Black mothers in California are more than three times more likely to die due to pregnancy and delivery complications than White mothers, according to Centers for Disease Control data. These health outcome disparities persist irrespective of factors such as the mother’s income or education.
“These disparities are unjust, inexcusable and can not be allowed to persist,” said Chair Nathan Fletcher. “Racism is a significant threat to the health and vitality of our community and none of us can stand idly by while babies and mothers continue to die.”
Black Legacy Now aligns with Chair Fletcher’s Framework for the Future of San Diego County; and it takes an important forward to fulfill the goals of the policy and resolution passed by the Board earlier this month to declare racism a public health crisis.
Black Legacy Now is bringing together San Diego County’s top health care, government, public policy, and maternal and infant health experts to address these disparities and create concrete plans for reducing systemic bias and improving health outcomes for Black families in San Diego County.
“While it is often said, ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ it will take each and every one of us to stand up to long-standing inequities,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County Public Health Officer. “The first step is education, followed by community-wide action. This launch is the first step in what will be a long-term campaign focused on driving real, measurable change for Black families in San Diego County.”
Speaking at the launch press conference on Thursday, Dr. Kelly Elmore, PEI Community Advisory Board member and Board Certified OB/GYN, outlined potential changes for County healthcare systems including:

• Standardization of maternal and infant care protocols for physicians and patient education
• An increase in remote patient monitoring for new parent support
• Incorporating mental health counseling into routine post-partum care
• Updates to patient discharge instructions to provide new mothers with simple instructions and tips for knowing when to seek medical help
• Increased access to alternative birthing centers and midwifery

The County of San Diego already funds the San Diego Black Infant Health Program (BIH), which offers social support, stress management and empowerment through prenatal/postpartum groups and one-on-one sessions— to help women to understand their risks and try to reduce them. Additionally, PEI supports a Fatherhood Initiative for soon-to-be fathers and fathers with an infant up to 1 year of age and whose partner is African-American, as well as implicit bias training for medical providers to improve services for African-American pregnant and parenting women.

About San Diego’s Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI)

Acknowledging long-standing, higher rates of infant and maternal deaths among African Americans, California’s Governor authorized funding for the statewide Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI) in 2018. Counties across the state of California are working on PEI initiatives to develop interventions, raise awareness of poor birth outcomes and inequities among African Americans, and addressing the role of bias and racism – particularly in health care settings – in contributing to these birth outcomes. The County of San Diego PEI is focused on improving birth and maternal health outcomes for African-American families in San Diego County by changing the systems that contribute to social injustices, economic disparities, and racial and health inequities.

About Black Legacy Now

Under development since the state approved funding, the San Diego PEI has developed a strong foundation by creating a diverse community advisory board and ensuring each step of the Black Legacy Now messaging, brand asset and outreach plan development was informed by the community. The campaign has a dedicated website, social channels, educational collateral and is supported by a paid advertising campaign running in market now and again in April supporting Black Maternal Health Week.
Visit www.blacklegacynowsd.com to get the facts, Know Your Rights, and commit to action by advocating for Black women, babies and families in San Diego.