This Week on One Detroit: 

One Detroit and The Detroit News examine potential solutions to decrease maternal deaths in Michigan

There are 80 to 90 maternal deaths in Michigan each year, state data shows, numbers first reported by The Detroit News in July. The problem is further exacerbated for Black women, who are three times more likely to die from complications related to childbirth as compared to white women, according to Dr. Sonia Hassan, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wayne State University. 

Nationally, a report from the March of Dimes gave Michigan a C-minus grade, which has risen slightly from a D-plus grade since this summer, showing marginal improvement. However, other data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services provides a different perspective — a 33% increase in maternal deaths from 2019 to 2020. 

New statistics for the year 2021 are expected to be released by the State of Michigan in a few weeks. For the March of Dimes, a key concern cited is the rate of pre-term births. Michigan’s pre-term birth rate is 10.3%, according to the March of Dimes, while states like California and Massachusetts are at least one percentage point lower. 

“What needs to be done is more attention to the plight of motherhood in America. It is one of the most dangerous places to give birth,” said Stefanie Worth, Executive Director of Market Impact for the March of Dimes Southeastern Michigan. 

The Detroit News reported on a program initiated in California following a dramatic rise in its maternal death rate in 2006. Over the past 14 years, hospitals there have been tracking data and working together to address common issues such as preclampsia – high blood pressure due to pregnancy – along with hemorrhage and infection.  

One Detroit, in collaboration with The Detroit News, takes an in-depth look at possible solutions that could help reduce maternal death rates. Senior Producer Bill Kubota and journalist Hayley Harding, who reported on the issue for The Detroit News, look at how a new program originating from Wayne State University called the SOS Maternity Network has gathered the leading healthcare providers in Southeastern Michigan to find better ways to approach the problem, while proposed state legislation intended to help close maternal health disparities moves forward. 

Plus, Kubota and Harding show how one local maternal care provider is working to change the culture of childbirth by promoting midwifery services, which could also improve outcomes, especially for Black women.  

Judson Center celebrates 100 years of providing services to metro Detroiters

Judson Center, a metro Detroit nonprofit human services agency, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. As part of the commemoration, the agency launched its “Where Care Is An Art” awareness campaign, an initiative that paired local artists with Judson Center clients and culminated in 10 unique artworks that tell stories of resilience and recovery. 

The project, designed in collaboration with Doner Detroit, highlights the journeys of clients who have benefitted from the center’s various programs, including autism services, foster care, adoption, and disability employment. Judson Center has also introduced a Centennial Challenge, where people are encouraged to support the agency’s 100 years of service.

Contributor Stephen Henderson, host of “American Black Journal,” sits down with Judson Center President & CEO Lenora Hardy-Foster, who discusses the agency’s origins in 1924 and its evolution in response to community needs. Hardy-Foster also talks about the center’s commitment to providing essential services in autism, foster care, adoption, behavioral and physical healthcare and to people with disabilities, and the organization’s vision for the future.

Things to do in Detroit this weekend: November 22, 2024

It’s the holiday season and the lights are shining bright around metro Detroit with the 21st annual Detroit tree lighting at Campus Martius and the Wayne County Lightfest at Hines Park. Plus, enjoy some ice skating during SK8 JAMZ at Suburban Ice Macomb. There are also a variety of performances in town this weekend, including “Mean Girls” at the Fisher Theatre, the All-City Poetry Slam 2024 at the Detroit Public Theatre and more. One Detroit contributor Cecelia Sharpe of 90.9 WRCJ shares events coming up around town on “One Detroit Weekend.”