S2 Ep 20: Using Tech to Overcome Inequity in Maternal Healthcare with Mary Fleming, MD, MPH, FACOG (Part 1)

Welcome to P.S. Blossom, powered by Rhia Ventures!

“For that reason, there are some of us who have decided that they would rather take those risks — of having those adverse outcomes at home because they don't feel like they're going to get optimal care in the hospital. That's scary and very disheartening.” — Mary Fleming.

In Using Tech to Overcome Inequity in Maternal Healthcare (Part 1), we speak with Dr. Mary E. Fleming, the president of the Reede Scholars Incorporated and a qualified OBGYN. She is also a Co-Founder and the Senior Vice President for Health Equity at Cayaba Care, a home-based tech-enabled, maternal health solution that is trying to bridge the gap between traditional prenatal care and postpartum care and the social determinants of health.

In this episode, Dr. Fleming sheds light on why Black and Brown women in this country have higher adverse maternal health outcomes and how Cayaba Care is trying to meet the access and economic challenges faced by their patients to bridge the gap. Join us for this profound conversation about overcoming maternal health inequity!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to Mary Fleming and her work with Cayaba Care.

• How women’s health relates to the health of communities and health equity.

• Insight into how people can get more involved in health equity.

• How Dr. Fleming found her cofounders.

• Why Black and Brown women have higher adverse maternal health outcomes and what Cayaba Care does to address this.

• What a maternity navigator is and how they support women.

• Why home visits are so important and how this helps overcome access challenges.

• The community aspect of this care.

• What recovery looks like for mothers and birthing parents postpartum.

• Tests that a new mother may need after delivery.

• What health equity looks like in this space.

• The causes of the maternal health inequities that we face.

• How maternal health inequities may appear in the different settings of at-home, in-hospital, and birth center deliveries.

• What mothers and birthing parents can expect during home-based pregnancy care.

• Some of the virtual services offered by Cayaba Care.

• The importance of telehealth to the future outcomes of postpartum care and access.

• The impact of home-based pregnancy care on mothers and birthing parents.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Follow Mary Fleming:

LinkedIn: Dr. Mary E. Fleming

Cayaba Care

Reede Scholars Incorporated

IG: @ps_blossom

Twitter: @PS_Blossom

Click here to learn more about P.S. Blossom!