Black Postpartum Patients To Benefit From UC Davis Health’s New Telehealth Program

UC Davis Health’s new telehealth program aims to address disparities in postpartum care for Black patients and improve maternal outcomes.

Bridging the Gap in Postpartum Care

Black patients at UC Davis Health and across the nation face significant disparities in postpartum care. 

These inequities, particularly during the six-week period after birth, contribute to an increased risk of complications and even death for Black people who give birth. 

To tackle this issue, UC Davis Health has launched a new telehealth program aimed at reducing these disparities and improving maternal outcomes for Black patients.

The new telehealth initiative at UC Davis Health, which received a $27,000 Telehealth Equity Catalyst Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges, seeks to address the inequities in health care access faced by Black patients. 

“We are thrilled and proud to receive this award and look forward to leveraging technology to reduce disparities and improve perinatal outcomes for Black people giving birth,” said Ijeoma Uche, co-leader of the project and co-founder of the Birth By Us app in a press release.

A new telehealth program

The telehealth program, set to begin this summer, will expand the use of video visits for prenatal and postnatal care for Black patients over a 12-month period. 

Researchers will track both completed and failed video visits to assess the program’s efficacy and areas for improvement. 

The project is supported by a dedicated team, including Catherine Cansino, lead obstetrician and professor of obstetrics and gynecology; Michelle Bustamante, lead nurse and UC Davis obstetric nurse manager; and Daniel Stein, lead IT member and UC Davis Epic telehealth manager. 

“Our goal is to demonstrate how we can ensure patient-centered maternity care despite the complexities that persist nationwide,” said Uche. 

“We’ll do this by harnessing technology, bringing us one step closer to offering the tools and resources needed to deliver the care all birthing families deserve.”

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