Memorial Hermann is committed to improving the health of the communities we serve, including women and children of all ages. Improving health begins with understanding and addressing the social determinants of health, the nonmedical factors, including the economic and social conditions, that can influence health outcomes. One of our key areas of focus is reducing and ultimately eliminating maternal mortality and morbidity.
Black women are more than three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications as white women, and Native American women are more than twice as likely, regardless of their income or education. And for every pregnancy-related death, there are an estimated 70 cases of severe maternal morbidity (SMM), serious underlying health conditions that can lead to pregnancy complications for laboring moms, or even death.
SMM also poses a health risk to the infant. Infants born to mothers with SMM are 39% more likely to die than those born to mothers without these health complications.Unfortunately, SMM is on the rise, including in Harris County, which has one of the highest rates of maternal morbidity among metropolitan areas in the country. According to the CDC, rises in SMM are likely driven by a combination of factors, including increases in maternal age, prepregnancy obesity, pre-existing chronic medical conditions and cesarean delivery.
Memorial Hermann Health System cares for more than 30,000 laboring mothers from every ethnic, economic and racial background every year and is committed to reducing and ultimately eliminating these racial and ethnic disparities. We are working with and in the communities we serve to understand and address the underlying causes of pregnancy-related complications, including the social determinants of health, which begin long before a woman becomes pregnant.
In April 2021, the Memorial Hermann Maternal Health Access Committee was formed to fully understand the SMM problem and to identify and begin to address the underlying causes. Addressing the problem at the time of labor and delivery is not the answer, and we are working with and in the communities we serve to understand and address the underlying causes of pregnancy-related complications. The committee is one of several Memorial Hermann Health Access and Engagement councils which identify and undertake key initiatives designed to make a real difference in the lives of underserved communities across Greater Houston.
Memorial Hermann operates three Community Resource Centers in the Houston area, each staffed by Memorial Hermann community health workers who are equipped to help women navigate concerns impacting their health, including care access, food insecurity, safe housing and transportation. The centers help connect uninsured and underinsured individuals with vitally important access to primary and preventive care by working closely with federally qualified health centers, private not-for-profit clinics and Harris Health System.
The Memorial Hermann Community Resource Centers are just one of many programs of the Memorial Hermann Community Health. To advance Memorial Hermann’s vision of creating healthier communities, Memorial Hermann Community Health implements initiatives in cooperation with other health care providers, government agencies, business leaders and community stakeholders. These programs are designed to improve the overall quality of life in our communities, including among women and children.
Memorial Hermann Community Health's work is built on the foundation of four intersecting pillars: Access to Health Care, Emotional Wellbeing, Food as Health and Exercise is Medicine. These pillars are designed to provide care for uninsured and underinsured; to reach residents of the Greater Houston area needing low-cost care; to support the existing infrastructure of nonprofit clinics and federally qualified health centers; to address mental and behavioral care services through innovative access points; to work against food insecurity and physical inactivity; and to educate individuals and their families on how to access the services needed by and available to them.
In 2024, Memorial Hermann, in partnership with March of Dimes and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, launched the first-ever Texas Mom & Baby Mobile Health Center. This innovative mobile clinic delivers essential maternal and newborn health care directly to underserved populations throughout Harris County. It brings a comprehensive suite of services, including well-woman exams, prenatal and postnatal care, newborn assessments, health screenings and coordination for specialized referrals, to communities with limited access. The program aims to close the gap in maternal health disparities and provide mothers and infants with consistent, quality care where they live.
In 2020, Memorial Hermann began utilizing the Maternal Early Warning System (MEWS), an initiative of the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB). MEWS is a tool medical practitioners use to facilitate timely recognition, diagnosis and treatment of critical illness, including hypertension hemorrhage and sepsis, in pregnant and postpartum women. Memorial Hermann is using this tool to prevent complications and to expedite treatment when they do occur.
View Urgent Maternal Warning Signs
Giving birth can be stressful, especially when underlying health conditions increase the risk of complications. To help promote safe deliveries and reduce anxiety, Memorial Hermann has expanded its perinatal nurse navigator program and is incorporating community-based doulas into its labor and delivery services.
Perinatal nurse navigators provide personalized care coordination for expectant mothers, including health education, appointment scheduling, referrals and connection to support resources. For patients facing high-risk pregnancies, perinatal nurse navigators collaborate directly with doulas to provide an added layer of care and continuity throughout the prenatal and postpartum journey.
Through a grant-supported Doula Assistance Program, Memorial Hermann offers free doula services to qualifying mothers who meet specific criteria and plan to deliver at a Memorial Hermann hospital. Doulas, as defined by DONA International, are trained professionals who offer continuous physical, emotional and informational support before, during and shortly after childbirth. This includes pregnancy education, comfort techniques during labor and in-home visits following delivery to support lactation, monitor newborn care and promote maternal well-being.
Memorial Hermann is committed to engaging families and equipping parents with tools and important co-parenting skills to improve family functioning. Join a Memorial Hermann course facilitator and other parents online for interactive sessions to better prepare yourself to be an involved, engaged and positive co-parent and partner. Separate sessions are offered for moms and for dads at no charge and can be taken as desired.
Session topics for all single/married moms and dads include:
This Memorial Hermann Health System co-parenting program is based on the National Fatherhood Initiative’s® evidence-based program curriculum. We strive to offer inclusive, accessible and welcoming classes and events. Let us know if you would like to request an accommodation to participate in the upcoming co-parenting session.
See full schedule of available sessions in English or Spanish at memorialhermann.org/parenting-classes or call (713) 222-CARE.
After giving birth, many women focus on the health of their baby but at the expense of their own health. They may make every pediatrician visit but might neglect their own check-ups. For this reason, Memorial Hermann is encouraging our affiliated pediatricians to screen new moms for hypertension (high blood pressure) and postpartum depression when they bring their infants in for checkups.
Memorial Hermann participated in Healthy Women Houston, a citywide collaborative project to help women in underserved communities get the prenatal care they need. Many of these women need help with transportation to doctor visits. Some need mental health or substance abuse support. Others lack food or health insurance. These are all social determinants of women’s and babies’ health. The goal of the program is to connect women in need with these resources in a hospitable way.
Memorial Hermann is an active participant in the TexasAIM initiative, a collaboration between Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) and the Texas Hospital Association (THA). AIM is a program used by hospitals and communities across the country to improve maternal safety through implementing best practices, with the goal of ending preventable maternal death and SMM.
To learn more about all of Memorial Hermann’s health access and engagement initiatives, please click here.
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