LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A new report now in the hands of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders outlines possible ways to tackle an ongoing issue in Arkansas with maternal healthcare.
The committee the governor formed to put the report together gives recommendations in four focus areas: data reporting & technology, education & outreach, clinical & practice improvements and healthcare access & Medicaid.
The committee recommends developing a dashboard for reporting key maternal health indicators, evaluating Medicaid reimbursement rates, expanding OBGYN residencies and developing a maternal health education & advertising campaign.
Heather Havranek is a mom in Arkansas who has dealt with one of the biggest fears pregnant women face: experiencing a stillbirth.
She said that she found out at 39 weeks, the day before she gave birth, that her daughter Paisley no longer had a heartbeat.
“Once I had her, it was the loudest silence I’d ever heard,” Havranek said. “You wait to hear a baby cry and there’s no cry.”