Rep. Sykes Hosts Community Conversation In Canton To Discuss Improving Maternal Health
CANTON, OH — Last week, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) held a Community Conversation in Canton at the Greater Stark County Urban League. Rep. Sykes was joined by special guests Canton City Public Health Commissioner Amanda Archer; Dawn Miller, Program Manager for Stark County THRIVE; Maggie Bradford, THRIVE Community Resource Connector; and Dr. LaToya Dickens - Jones, Nurse Practitioner at My Community Health, for a discussion about improving maternal health in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District.
“As a member of the Black Maternal Health Caucus and co-sponsor of the Momnibus Act, I am committed to ensuring every mother and baby, no matter where they live, has the resources they need to live long, happy, and healthy lives. I was glad to host this Community Conversation to shine a light on the important issue of maternal mortality and to highlight local organizations in Stark County that can provide vital support to mothers in our communities,” said Rep. Sykes.
During this Community Conversation, Rep. Sykes discussed her work in Congress to improve maternal health, including co-sponsoring the Momnibus Act, comprehensive legislation to support mothers and combat the public health crisis of maternal mortality in the United States by addressing critical issues such as maternal healthcare, affordable childcare, paid family leave, and economic empowerment for women.
The discussion also highlighted community resources and local efforts to support mothers and babies and improve maternal health in Stark County, including:
- Stark County Toward Health Resiliency and Infant Vitality & Equity (THRIVE), a countywide collaborative managed by Canton City Public Health to identify factors in the community that lead to infant mortality and reduce the overall infant mortality rate as well as disparity in birth outcomes relative to Black and white infants; and
- My Community Health Center (MCHC), a not-for-profit primary care health center in Canton which provides care to all patients regardless of ability to pay. Services provided by MCHC include family practice, internal medicine, prenatal services, postpartum care, well-child and pediatric care, screenings, chronic disease management, laboratory, behavioral health, family planning, infectious disease, MAT, HIV and Hep C Treatment, substance-use disorder treatment, outreach, health education, eligibility assistance and case management.
“Community conversations such as these provide an opportunity where we can learn from each other; where open discussion allows concerns and needs to be expressed, and information and resources to be shared with the goal of meeting the comprehensive needs of moms and babies in Stark County,” said Amanda Archer, Canton City Public Health Commissioner.
“Thank you, Representative Sykes, for the opportunity to highlight the efforts of the Stark County THRIVE collaborative partners and how individuals, especially our black moms and families have been involved with the work. While our countywide collaborative of partners address the social determinants of health inequitably impacting our pregnant communities of color, we must not forget the needs of postpartum persons and their families. Listening to the voices of our community, hearing the stories, working collectively, and looking at the data provides us with information to strategically reassess the needs of our community. In doing so, we can identify new avenues and improve existing interventions to address postpartum depression, affordable and accessible childcare and housing, and paired with the work we are doing, we can improve maternal morbidity and mortality in Stark County,” said Dawn Miller, Program Manager for Stark County THRIVE.
“Bringing awareness to the disparities that affect black maternal health plays a vital role in increasing equitable access to clinical and social services for black and brown mothers and improving outcomes in our community. Equitable access helps ensure healthy pregnancies, deliveries, and opportunities for children of color to THRIVE. We can't achieve improved outcomes without healthy community discussions like this event and champions like Representative Sykes to lead that cause,” said Maggie Bradford, THRIVE Community Resource Connector.
“Maternity should not equal Mortality. Stark County mothers require a safe place to voice needs and concerns. Community conversations increase awareness and involvement, which can eventually lead to better maternal outcomes,” said Dr. LaToya Dickens - Jones, Nurse Practitioner at My Community Health.
To learn more about Stark County THRIVE, visit www.cantonhealth.org/thrive or call (330) 489-3231. To learn more about My Community Health Center, visit www.mycomhc.org or call 330-363-6242.
