Maternal mortality is getting more and more attention in Georgia as the state has one of the country’s highest maternal mortality rates. Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) is at the forefront of making changes to affect that rate for the better, and on Aug. 8, Sen. Raphael Warnock visited Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) in Gainesville to discuss the issue and learn about the work NGHS is doing.
“I’m proud of the work this team is doing to create initiatives that will make changes across the state,” said Carol Burrell, president and CEO of NGHS. “I was honored to sit by Senator Warnock and share about all the great work NGHS is doing and what we hope to see for mothers here locally and across Georgia.”
As one of only nine recipients of a $1 million grant awarded to support state-led maternal health innovation, this funding will be used by the health system’s Women and Children’s Services, as well as Georgia Heart Institute, to study and prevent cardiac disease among pregnant and postpartum women.
While Warnock visited NGMC, he also discussed the importance of the Georgia Council for Recovery’s maternal peer support program, which provides certified addiction recovery empowerment specialists – also called CARES – in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). He also took part in a roundtable discussion with system leaders and received a tour of the NICU.
To learn more about heart care especially for women, visit nghs.com/womens-heart-center.