Improving Maternity Care for Indigenous Populations

People of American Indian and Alaska Native descent, also known as Indigenous, are twice as likely to experience pregnancy-related deaths as white women. In this conversation, Tina Pattara-Lau, M.D., maternal and child health consultant with the Indian Health Service Office of Clinical and Preventive Services, and Johnna Nynas, M.D. obstetrics and gynecology specialist at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, explore common disparities and systemic barriers Indigenous people experience in pregnancy and postpartum, and ways hospitals and health care organizations can combat these challenges to provide culturally-focused care. November is #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth.