CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The maternal mortality rate for black mothers is a concern for healthcare professionals here in southwest Florida. Fox 4’s Bella Line met with Dr.Rachel Wykes, an Obstetrician-Gynecologist for Lee Health, and she says while the data is alarming she and other doctors in Lee County, are working on solutions.
Dr. Wykes likes to say mothers are the center of our community.
“When you lose a mom, you lose, like, the center of a household, and like, the heartbeat of our community. So we just, we can't have that,” said Wykes.
The Mayo Clinic found that the mortality rate for black mothers 25 and older is about 4 times higher than for white mothers, and it's been that way for decades.
Hear what Dr. Rachel Wykes says some of the reasons are:
“We like to think about, ‘Oh, well, they probably didn't have insurance,’ no, these women are highly educated, healthy, athletic, with good care, seeking care in the way that they're supposed to seek care, and still either not being heard,” said Wykes.
That's what it boils down to, she says patients not being heard.
“In surveys of hundreds of 1000s of black women, it's like, I don't feel safe because I don't feel heard and that's a problem,” said Wykes.
Also, healthcare professionals being educated on socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
“We do know that if you're black, that's a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and I'm going to talk to you about that, you know, like it's not, it feels uncomfortable to label by the way people look, but we know, we know it's just, it's just the way it is,” said Wykes.
After having a baby, she says many mothers forget to take care of themselves because they just get too busy.
"We see a lot of moms after they deliver the baby, they stop engaging with healthcare,” said Wykes.
So, Lee Health has a program to make sure the mother is seen before it's too late.
“If you wait for your next appointment in two weeks, you might already have eclampsia or stroke,” said Wykes.
It’s the Remote Patient Monitoring program. It gives you the access to healthcare professionals from home.
"You don't have to have childcare, you don't have to take time off work. You can do it before or after your shift, so all of those barriers between patients and providers, it really breaks those down,” said Wykes.
Dr Wykes says a trusted advocate can also help prevent a tragedy.
For more information on these programs, you can reach out to Lee Health.
