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  • >> Sreenivasan: IF YOU'RE AN

  • AMERICAN WOMAN, YOUR CHANCES OF

  • DYING FROM PREGNANCY-RELATED

  • CAUSES ARE HIGHER THAN SOMEONE

  • WHO LIVES IN SWEDEN, POLAND OR

  • LIBYA.

  • IN AN HISTORIC MOVE THIS PAST

  • DECEMBER, PRESIDENT TRUMP

  • ALLOCATED $50,000,000 IN FUNDING

  • TO DECREASE MATERNAL MORTALITY

  • OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

  • TEXAS INADVERTENTLY BECAME AN

  • EMBLEM ON THE HEALTH CRISIS WHEN

  • IT MISTAKENLY OVERSTATED THE

  • NUMBER OF MATERNAL DEATHS IN

  • THEIR STATE, BUT THE ERROR DREW

  • ATTENTION TO THE NUMBER OF

  • AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WHO STILL

  • HAD HIGHER MATERNAL DEATH RATES

  • THAN OTHER POPULATIONS.

  • NEWSHOUR WEEKEND SPECIAL

  • CORRESPONDENT KIRSTY JOHANSEN

  • TRAVELED TO TEXAS TO MEET THE

  • WOMAN WHO HELPED PUT THIS ISSUE

  • IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND IS FIGHTING

  • FOR CHANGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

  • >> Reporter: MORNINGS IN THE

  • THIERRY HOUSEHOLD ARE LIKE THOSE

  • IN MANY OTHER AMERICAN HOMES.

  • SHAWN THIERRY, A SINGLE MOTHER,

  • IS GETTING HER DAUGHTER, KLAIRE,

  • READY FOR SCHOOL AND HAS A JAM-

  • PACKED DAY HERSELF.

  • THIERRY TRIES NOT TO TAKE ANY OF

  • THEIR TIME TOGETHER FOR GRANTED,

  • REMEMBERING SAGE WORDS FROM HER

  • GRANDMOTHER.

  • >> SHE WOULD ALWAYS SAY, I

  • REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A LITTLE

  • GIRL, "WELL, WHEN A WOMAN HAS A

  • BABY, THAT'S THE CLOSEST SHE'S

  • EVER GOING TO GET TO DEATH."

  • BUT THAT WAS TRUE BACK IN THE...

  • AS THEY SAY, THE OLD DAYS.

  • WOMEN DIED IN CHILDBIRTH.

  • AND SO, I FIND IT JUST BOGGLING

  • THAT IN 2019 WE'RE STILL HAVING

  • THIS CONVERSATION.

  • I'M GOING TO GO GET YOUR

  • CLOTHES.

  • >> Reporter: TEXAS HAS ONE OF

  • THE MOST CONCERNING MATERNAL

  • MORTALITY RATES IN THE COUNTRY,

  • ESTIMATED AT 14.6 PER 100,000

  • LIVE BIRTHS.

  • FOR BLACK WOMEN, IT'S EVEN

  • WORSE: 27.8 PER 100,000.

  • SHAWN THIERRY ALMOST BECAME ONE

  • OF THE STATE'S STATISTICS

  • HERSELF WHILE GIVING BIRTH IN

  • 2012 TO KLAIRE.

  • >> I STARTED TO TELL THE DOCTORS

  • IN THE ROOM, "SOMETHING'S NOT

  • RIGHT."

  • I ASKED THEM TO PUT ME UNDER, TO

  • GIVE ME FULL ANESTHESIA,

  • THINKING THAT IF SOMEHOW I

  • WASN'T CONSCIOUS AND AWAKE OF

  • THE LEVEL OF PAIN THAT I WAS IN,

  • THAT MAYBE I COULD SURVIVE.

  • AND THEY SAID, "WELL, THE

  • DOCTOR'S NOT EVEN IN THE ROOM.

  • HE... HE HAS TO MAKE THAT

  • ORDER."

  • AND I JUST SCREAMED, "GO GET

  • HIM."

  • >> Reporter: THIERRY DOESN'T

  • REMEMBER MUCH ELSE OTHER THAN

  • WAKING UP AND FINDING OUT SHE

  • HAD GIVEN BIRTH.

  • SHE SAYS HER DOCTOR NEVER

  • EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

  • >> LATER, I FOUND OUT.

  • A COUPLE OF NURSES CAME IN, AND

  • THEY SAID THAT I HAD WHAT'S

  • CALLED A HIGH-BLOCK EPIDURAL.

  • AND THAT CAN BE AN ADVERSE

  • REACTION WHEN I BELIEVE IT'S PUT

  • TOO HIGH IN YOUR SPINE AND THE

  • MEDICINE GOES TO YOUR HEART

  • INSTEAD OF DOWN TO YOUR LEGS.

  • SO, IT WAS PARALYZING MY HEART.

  • >> Reporter: THIERRY BELIEVES

  • HER NURSES AND DOCTORS DIDN'T

  • TAKE HER PAIN LEVEL SERIOUSLY.

  • SHE SAYS A UNIVERSITY OF

  • VIRGINIA REPORT MAY HOLD THE KEY

  • AS TO WHY.

  • >> THEY SURVEYED MEDICAL

  • STUDENTS WHO ACTUALLY BELIEVED

  • THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE

  • THICKER SKIN.

  • THEY REVEAL THAT THEY THOUGHT

  • THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS HAD A

  • HIGHER PAIN THRESHOLD.

  • AND SO, FINDINGS ARE COMING OUT

  • THAT BLACKS ARE LESS LIKELY TO

  • RECEIVE PAIN MEDICATION IN THE

  • E.R.

  • >> Reporter: AS A BLACK WOMAN IN

  • TEXAS, THIERRY KNOWS ALL TOO

  • WELL HOW BIG THE PROBLEM IS.

  • SHE'S A TEXAS HOUSE

  • REPRESENTATIVE.

  • HER DISTRICT INCLUDES THREE OF

  • THE ZIP CODES WITH THE HIGHEST

  • MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES.

  • DRIVEN BY HER PERSONAL ORDEAL,

  • SHE'S PUSHING THE STATE TO STUDY

  • MATERNAL MORTALITY, AN ISSUE

  • THAT DR. CARLA ORTIQUE SAYS HAS

  • BECOME A CRISIS.

  • >> AT LEAST 50% TO 80% OF

  • DELIV... OF THESE DEATHS ARE

  • PREVENTABLE.

  • >> Reporter: ORTIQUE IS VICE

  • CHAIR OF THE TEXAS MATERNAL

  • MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY TASK

  • FORCE, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN

  • 2013 TO STUDY THE STATE'S

  • MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE.

  • >> WE KNOW THAT FOR EVERY

  • MATERNAL DEATH, THERE ARE

  • APPROXIMATELY 100 SEVERE

  • MATERNAL MORBIDITIES.

  • IN OTHER WORDS, BAD THINGS THAT

  • HAPPEN-- NEAR MISSES, NEAR DEATH

  • INSTANCES.

  • AND SO, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT

  • THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE

  • MORTALITY IS JUST THAT.

  • IT'S THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

  • >> Reporter: ORTIQUE SAYS 55% OF

  • WOMEN WHO GIVE BIRTH IN TEXAS

  • ARE COVERED BY MEDICAID.

  • MOST LOSE THAT COVERAGE 42 DAYS

  • AFTER DELIVERY.

  • >> AND SO, IT'S LIKELY NOT A

  • COINCIDENCE THAT YOU SEE A

  • HIGHER INCIDENCE OF DEATH AFTER

  • THAT 42-DAY MARK.

  • >> Reporter: TEXAS HAS THE

  • LARGEST UNINSURED RATE IN THE

  • COUNTRY IN PART BECAUSE IN 2012

  • THE STATE LEGISLATURE REJECTED

  • BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FEDERAL

  • AID TO EXPAND MEDICAID UNDER THE

  • AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.

  • DR. ORTIQUE SAYS THAT DECISION

  • COUPLED WITH POVERTY, OBESITY

  • AND INCREASES IN OPIATE ABUSE

  • HAS SERVED ONLY TO FURTHER

  • MARGINALIZE THOSE IN NEED.

  • >> SHE WAS ALWAYS EXPERIMENTING

  • WITH HAIR.

  • >> Reporter: CHERYL PERKINS'

  • DAUGHTER, CASSAUNDRA, HAD

  • INSURANCE WHEN SHE GAVE BIRTH TO

  • TWINS CAMILLE AND CATREYAL, NOW

  • FOUR YEARS OLD.

  • SHE ALREADY HAD AN OLDER

  • DAUGHTER, JOURNII, WHO IS NOW

  • SIX.

  • BUT EVEN WITH INSURANCE, DOCTORS

  • MISSED EARLY SIGNS OF TROUBLE.

  • >> SHE HAD WENT TO THE E.R. 22

  • TIMES WITH... WITH NO

  • RESOLUTION, WHICH... THAT NEVER

  • SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE,

  • YOU KNOW, IT WOULD SEEM LIKE THE

  • DOCTORS WOULD SAY, "WHY IS THIS

  • PERSON COMING BACK HERE?

  • WE'RE DOING... WE'RE NOT DOING

  • SOMETHING."

  • >> Reporter: CASSAUNDRA WAS

  • EVENTUALLY DIAGNOSED WITH AN

  • INFECTION, AND HER LABOR WAS

  • INDUCED JUST SIX MONTHS INTO HER

  • PREGNANCY.

  • HER TWINS WEIGHED ONLY TWO

  • POUNDS EACH.

  • SHE DIED A WEEK AND A HALF LATER

  • AFTER HER LIVER FAILED.

  • >> TRYING TO GET THESE LITTLE

  • HAIRS BACK IN PLACE.

  • >> Reporter: HER MOTHER IS NOW

  • RAISING THREE YOUNG CHILDREN

  • ALONE.

  • >> THERE.

  • >> NO, I WANT TO WASH IT.

  • >> CATREYAL, GO GET YOUR

  • BROTHER'S POLE SO HE CAN EAT.

  • >> Reporter: CATREYAL,

  • MEANWHILE, HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED

  • WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND NEEDS

  • 24/7 ASSISTANCE.

  • >> THAT'S LIKE...

  • THAT IS SO HARD.

  • >> Reporter: THREE YEARS AFTER

  • CASSAUNDRA'S DEATH, DR.

  • ORTIQUE'S TASK FORCE FOUND THAT

  • THE RATE OF RACIAL DISPARITY HAD

  • NOT CHANGED.

  • MORTALITY AMONG BLACK WOMEN WAS

  • MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT OF WHITE

  • WOMEN.

  • BUT THOUGH THE STATE HAS SINCE

  • DEVELOPED A BETTER METHOD THAT

  • FOCUSES ON TRACKING NUMBERS, IT

  • STILL DOES NOT INCLUDE WOMEN WHO

  • DIE OUTSIDE THE 42-DAY MEDICAID

  • CUT-OFF.

  • >> NOW, THIS ROOM HERE, THIS IS

  • OUR OBSTETRIC ROOM.

  • >> Reporter: SHAWN THIERRY HAS

  • ALSO PROPOSED A MATERNAL

  • MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY DATA

  • REGISTRY BILL WHICH WOULD

  • REQUIRE COLLECTING HEALTH DATA

  • AT THE TIME A PREGNANT WOMAN IS

  • ADMITTED FOR DELIVERY THROUGH

  • 364 DAYS POSTPARTUM.

  • UNDER THE BILL, DATA WOULD BE

  • COLLECTED ON A DAILY BASIS AND

  • WOULD INCLUDE THE MOST HIGH-RISK

  • CONDITIONS, SUCH AS HEMORRHAGING

  • AND PREGNANCY-INDUCED

  • HYPERTENSION.

  • ONE OF THE REASONS THIERRY WANTS

  • TO INTRODUCE THE DATA REGISTRY

  • IS SO BROADER STATISTICS CAN

  • REINFORCE THE SEVERITY OF

  • MATERNAL DEATHS AND SET A NEW

  • STANDARD FOR STATES ACROSS THE

  • U.S.

  • THIERRY IS ALSO TRYING TO PASS

  • TWO MORE BILLS.

  • ONE WOULD EXTEND MEDICAID

  • COVERAGE FOR ELIGIBLE WOMEN UP

  • TO ONE YEAR AFTER THEY DELIVER

  • OR EXPERIENCE A MISCARRIAGE.

  • THE OTHER WOULD REQUIRE CULTURAL

  • COMPETENCY TRAINING FOR MEDICAL

  • PROFESSIONALS TO REMOVE BIAS IN

  • TREATMENT OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN

  • WOMEN, SOMETHING THE TASK FORCE

  • RECOMMENDED.

  • PHYSICIANS LIKE DR. CARLA

  • ORTIQUE SAY THAT'S FINE, BUT

  • ONLY AS LONG AS IT'S VOLUNTARY.

  • >> WHILE I DID SAY I ABSOLUTELY

  • SUPPORT HAVING TRAINING, I'M

  • NOT... I CAN'T SAY THAT I

  • TOTALLY SUPPORT MANDATES.

  • >> Reporter: MEANWHILE, THE

  • STATE HAS ALREADY MADE SOME

  • CHANGES TO ADDRESS MATERNAL

  • HEALTH ISSUES.

  • TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

  • WOMEN'S PAVILION HAS ITS OWN

  • INTENSIVE CARE WARD WITHIN THE

  • LABOR AND DELIVERY UNIT, THE

  • FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE

  • COUNTRY.

  • AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

  • STATE HEALTH SERVICES

  • INTRODUCED MATERNAL SAFETY

  • BUNDLES WHICH DETAIL TREATMENT

  • POLICIES, SAFETY EQUIPMENT,

  • TRAINING PROGRAMS AND INTERNAL

  • REVIEWS THAT EVERY HOSPITAL

  • SHOULD HAVE.

  • SO FAR, 85% OF BIRTHING

  • FACILITIES IN THE STATE HAVE

  • ROLLED OUT THE PROGRAM.

  • YOU'RE PUTTING THREE BILLS

  • FORWARD.

  • WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DON'T PASS?

  • >> I'LL BE VERY DISAPPOINTED.

  • THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT'S

  • GOING TO HAPPEN.

  • BUT I'M... THEN, AFTER THAT,

  • I'LL HAVE TO WAIT TWO MORE

  • YEARS.

  • >> Reporter: IN FACT, THIS

  • MONTH, HER DATA REGISTRY BILL

  • WAS PASSED BY THE TEXAS HOUSE,

  • BUT HER TWO OTHER BILLS WERE NOT

  • GRANTED A COMMITTEE HEARING.

  • BUT SHE VOWS TO KEEP UP THE

  • FIGHT EVEN IF SHE HAS TO WAIT

  • FOR THE NEXT BIENNIAL

  • LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

  • CAN TEXAS WAIT TWO MORE YEARS?

  • >> ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID IN

  • THE VERY BEGINNING IS, THE TIME

  • IS NOW.

  • WE CAN'T WAIT BECAUSE WE HAVE A

  • LIST OF NAMES OF WOMEN THAT HAVE

  • LOST THEIR LIVES BEHIND THIS.

>> Sreenivasan: IF YOU'RE AN

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