Gillibrand Introduces MOMS Act To Confront Rise In Maternal Mortality Rates
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) yesterday announced she introduced new legislation to confront the rise of maternal mortality rates across the country and the state.
Dubbed the Modernizing Obstetric Medicine Standards (MOMS) Act, the proposed legislation would help prevent women from suffering from medical complications or dying before, during, and after childbirth. The United States has more pregnancy-related deaths than any other developed country in the world, particularly among black women. Each year it is estimated that there are at least 50,000 women who experience a complication during childbirth, and according to an NPR and ProPublica report, for every woman who dies in childbirth in the U.S., there are 70 women who nearly die.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 60 percent of these deaths and complications are preventable. Hospitals often lack the funding necessary for supplies and proper training to implement standards to prevent complications and deaths arising from pregnancy and childbirth.
Additionally, New York State has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, and over the past decade, the state has experienced a 60 percent increase in maternal mortality. To date, in August 2018, the rate of maternal mortality in New York State is 20.9 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. In New York City, where half of the state’s births take place, there have been 22.6 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births so far this year. Racial disparities are also very evident, especially with black women, who are three to four times more likely to die from complications arising during or after childbirth. In New York City, black women are twelve times more likely to die from complications arising during or after childbirth.
“Our state has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, and our country has the highest maternal mortality rate in the industrialized world. It’s even worse for black women, who are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. In New York City, black women are twelve times more likely to die as a result of pregnancy and childbirth. This is completely unacceptable and largely avoidable, and it’s a crisis that we can and must solve now,” said Gillibrand.
“This much-needed legislation would help our hospitals monitor all mothers before, during, and after they give birth for preventable but potentially fatal conditions like hemorrhage and preeclampsia, and it would provide them with the federal funding they need to purchase supplies to implement new procedures and effectively treat patients. We need to protect and value mothers, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to address the urgent crisis of maternal mortality and help end racial disparities in our health care system,” she added.
The MOMS Act would help reduce maternal deaths and complications in the U.S. by providing funding to states and hospitals to develop and implement standardized maternal safety best practices, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to prevent and respond to complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth.
Avella Asks EDC and Hudson River Park Trust to Better Monitor Helicopters
State Sen. Tony Avella (D-College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Flushing, Jamaica Estates, Fresh Meadows, Bellerose, Floral Park, Jamaica, Douglaston, Little Neck, Auburndale, Kissena Park, Briarwood) yesterday stood with community leaders to ask the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and the Hudson River Park Trust to implement a cap on the number of flights and exert more oversight on helicopters utilizing their facilities.
Working on this issue since 2012, Avella has held meetings with the FAA and Port Authority, including a recent meeting with Congressional representatives who are also fighting alongside Avella on this issue. However, the issue has only gotten worse.
Avella found out that the major heliports in New York City, the East 34th Street heliport, the downtown Manhattan/Wall Street heliport, and the West 34th Street heliport are owned by either city or state entities.
The East 34th and downtown Manhattan/Wall Street heliport are owned by the EDC and the West 34th Street heliport is owned by the Hudson River Park Trust – which is a partnership between the state and the city, and acts as a public benefit corporation.
Avella is requesting that both EDC and the Hudson River Park Trust implement a cap on the number of incoming and outgoing flights and take a more active role in exerting more oversight on the helicopter operators that use these helipads.
“It is not fair that the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of residents are affected by low flying helicopters as they transit across our communities,” said Avella. “These operators must be held accountable by someone other than their own internal associations to ensure they are acting properly within the operation of their business. I will continue to fight on behalf of my constituents until my constituents get relief from this constant barrage.”
Addabbo, Pheffer Amato Big Band Concert Slated For Tomorrow Night
State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth, South Ozone Park, Ridgewood, Woodside, The Rockaways) and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Broad Channel, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Ozone Park, Rockaway) will once again be sponsoring the annual Arnie Mig Memorial Big Band Concert tomorrow night in Howard Beach.
The very first annual swing concert happened nearly three decades ago when Arnold “Arnie Mig” Migliaccio, the leader of the Serenaders in Blue Orchestra, would perform Big Band-era jazz music from the 1940’s for residents of Howard Beach.
When the beloved musician passed away on June 7, 2009, Addabbo wanted to honor his legacy and continue the tradition by hosting a big band concert in his memory.
“Arnie Mig was a staple in the Howard Beach community, and it is my honor and pleasure to continue his tradition of bringing great music to the residents each year,” Addabbo said. “This memorial concert is the perfect way to not only honor Arnie’s memory, but to bring the people the music they enjoy listening to right into their community. The fact that people of all ages continue to attend these concerts year after year goes to show the true impact Arnie Mig had on the people of Howard Beach.”
The concert is slated for between 7-10 p.m., tomorrow, Aug. 30 in the St. Helen’s parking lot, located at the corner of 157th Avenue and 84th Street in Howard Beach. It is open to the public. Attendees are asked to bring their own chairs. If there is inclement weather, the concert will be moved indoors to the Father Dooley Hall.
For more information on the Arnie Mig Memorial Big Band Concert, contact Addabbo’s Howard Beach office at (718) 738-1111.
