Frontier Faculty Featured on Everyday Kentucky

Dr. Jenkins Michelle Lawhorn, Frontier Nursing University midwifery faculty

appeared on Everyday Kentucky to bring attention to Black Maternal Health Week

(April 11-17). Dr. Lawhorn hosted a True or False game revealing shocking

statistics that in the U.S., Black women are three times more likely to die from a

pregnancy-related cause than White women. The CDC notes that more than 80%

of pregnancy related deaths are preventable. Given that Kentucky has some of the

worst birth outcomes in the US, we find ourselves right at the center of this crisis.

See the full interview: Everyday Kentucky with Dr. Lawhorn

Black Maternal Health Week calls on us to not only understand the

problematic outcomes in Kentucky (and the broader US), but also to amplify the

voices of Black Mamas and actively create solutions. Founded by Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) is an annual campaign that centers the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements. One effort that is particularly needed is to invest in workforce development. Creating more

midwives is imperative in Kentucky to increase access to high-quality care

throughout the perinatal and reproductive health continuum. See the link to watch

the Frontier Nursing University Documentary about the role midwifery can play in

improving maternal health.