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​​​​Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review Committee (PA MMRC)

PA MMRC Mission

The Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review Committee's goal is to systematically review all maternal deaths, identify root causes of these deaths and develop strategies to reduce preventable morbidity, mortality and racial disparities related to pregnancy in Pennsylvania.

Maternal Mortality Review Act: Membership Requirements

(b)Members.--The committee shall consist of the following members:

  1. The secretary or a designee authorized to act on behalf of the secretary.
  2. An obstetrician.
  3. A maternal-fetal medicine specialist.
  4. A certified nurse-midwife.
  5. A registered nurse representing maternal health care.
  6. A psychiatrist.
  7. An addiction medicine specialist.
  8. A social worker or social service provider.
  9. A medical examiner or coroner responsible for recording deaths.
  10. An emergency medical services provider.
  11. A health statistician.
  12. A representative of the department's Bureau of Family Health programs.
  13. Three individuals specializing in emergency medicine, family medicine, pathology, anesthesiology, cardiology, critical care or any other relevant medical specialty.
  14. Additional personnel at the discretion of the secretary.

Maternal Mortality Review Committee Expectations

It is important to consider the member expectations when deciding to apply:
  • Attend a minimum of 75% of PA MMRC meetings annually
    • We will have monthly, half-day meetings (9 am- 1 pm on the third Wednesday of each month)
  • Thoroughly review all maternal death case summaries that are provided by program staff prior to scheduled meetings
  • Act as a case reviewer for cases when assigned by program staff
  • Actively participate in case review discussion by sharing experiences and expertise to help create specific and actionable recommendations
  • Read communications pertaining to MMRC and respond to requests from program staff in a timely manner
  • Submit all required documentation (confidentiality form, CME, etc.)

View the Maternal Mortality Review Committee Application. The PA MMRC is accepting applications for additional committee members, including both clinical and non-clinical experts with experience and interest in serving pregnant and postpartum individuals. While all are invited to apply, the MMRC is specifically recruiting for the roles of: community member with lived experience, registered nurse representing maternal health care, law enforcement personnel, individuals who specialize in psychology and/or addiction medicine and treatment of substance use disorder, inpatient licensed social worker, emergency medical services provider, emergency medicine provider, and an individual specializing in cardiology, critical care, or any other relevant medical specialty. The PA MMRC seeks to add more members who represent populations disproportionally impacted by pregnancy-related deaths, which in PA includes Black pregnant and postpartum people and those living in rural areas.​

Current Members

All CoChairs and Members serve at the discretion of the secretary
Acting Secretary of Health
Debra Bogen, MD, FAAP, Secretary of Health, Pennsylvania Department of Health
The secretary or a designee authorized to act on behalf of the secretary
 
CoChairs
Aasta D. Mehta, MD, MPP, FACOG, Medical Officer of Women's Health, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
Joanne Craig, MS, Chief Impact Officer, The Foundation for Delaware County
Mae Reale, MA, Health Education Specialist, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Stacy Beck, MD, OB/GYN, Assistant Professor, Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
Members
Alysia Davis, MPH, Director Maternal and Infant Health Initiatives, March of Dimes
Amy Whitsel, MD, FACOG, OB/GYN, Maternal Fetal Medicine Staff Physician, Allegheny Health Network
Antoine B. Douaihy, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Benjamin Park, D.O. D.ABA FASA, Staff Anesthesiologist, Indiana Regional Medical Center
Betty J. Braxter, PhD, CNM, TTS, RN, Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh
Bridget McKinney, D.BE, Associate Director Operations, Bristol Myers Squibb
Daniel Weber, MD, OB/GYN Medical Director, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
David F. Silver, MD, MBA, FACOG, Director, Women's Behavioral Health, UPMC Central Pennsylvania
Jason Baxter, MD, MSCP, FACOG, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Enterprise Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University
Jean FitzGibbons, CRNP, Nurse Practitioner, Allegheny Health Network
Jennifer Cohn, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania
Juli Pyle,CNM, OB/GYN Full Scope CNM, Evangelical Community Hospital
Kathleen Jenkins, MPH, Public Health Nutrition Consultant, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Women, Infants and Children
Maria Montoro Edwards, PhD, President and CEO, Maternal and Family Health Services
Mario DeMarco, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Clinical, Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Mary Harrington, BSN, RNC-OB, C-ONQS, Senior Coordinator, Clinical Quality Improvement & Patient Safety, St. Luke's University Health Network
Nancy Niemczyk, CNM, PhD, FACNM, Assistant Professor, Nurse-Midwifery Program Director, University of Pittsburgh
Patricia Clemens, MSHI, BSN, RN, CPC, CHCQM, CPMA, LNC, Health Statistics Divison Chief, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Health Statistics & Registries
Roy Hoffman, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Fatality Review Program, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
Shanna Klucar, MSW, Public Health Program Administrator, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Family Health
Sindhu Srinivas, MD, MSCE, Maternal Fetal Medicine Professor, University of Pennsylvania
Sophia Garcia-Jackson, M.S., F-ABMDI, Coroner, Chester County Coroner's Office



Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative

The Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative (PA PQC) is a PA MMRC partner and primarily focuses reducing maternal mortality and improving the care of pregnant and postpartum women and newborns affected by opioids. The PA PQC works to improve the quality of care for mothers and babies across prenatal, labor/birth, newborn, and postpartum services. In its partnership with the PA MMRC, the PA PQC serves as a disseminator of the recommendations and strategies developed by the PA MMRC. The PA PQC is administered by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and WHAMglobal.