The Georgia Department of Public Health is disbanding a board that tracks critical maternal mortality health data. The move follows a state probe into a leak of confidential information to the national investigative news outlet ProPublica, which recently reported on two deaths linked to Georgia’s abortion restrictions.
The Maternal Mortality Review Committee’s members include dozens of doctors, nurses, epidemiologists and other maternal health experts, who investigate every single reported maternal death in Georgia within a year of pregnancy.
The goal is to understand exactly what led to a woman’s death and determine whether it was related to pregnancy. The committee’s work informs state health policy and maternal mortality prevention strategies.
Georgia has one of the worst rates of pregnancy related death in the nation. And the MMRC is among the state’s broader efforts to curb the crisis, which disproportionately affects Black women in Georgia.
Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey notified members of their dismissal in a letter.
The letter reads:
“Confidential information provided to the Maternal Mortality Review Committee (“MMRC” or “committee”) was inappropriately shared with outside individual(s) although both the confidential agreement that committee members sign and O.C.G.A. § 31-2A-16 prohibit the disclosure of such information. Even though this disclosure was investigated, the investigation was unable to uncover which individual(s) disclosed confidential information. Therefore, effective immediately the current MMRC is disbanded, and all member seats will be filled through a new application process. Additionally, other procedures for on-boarding committee members better ensuring confidentiality, committee oversight and MMRC organizational structure will be evaluated for possible modifications. Once these changes have been made, the Georgia Department of Public Health (“DPH”) will begin the process of filling all committee positions. The application process will be posted on DPH’s website in the coming weeks. This change to the current committee will not result in a delay in the MMRC’s responsibilities. Thank you for your service on the MMRC and for your dedication to citizens of Georgia.”
ProPublica recently reported on two Georgia women whose deaths the committee deemed preventable after they were unable to access care in the state.
Read the series, “Life of the Mother: How Abortion Bans Lead to Preventable Deaths,” at ProPublica.
