Garcia pushes for parenthood plan at City Hall
BY DEAN MOSES
Kathryn Garcia, mayoral candidate and former
Commissioner for the New York City Sanitation
Department, pledged to make boosting women’s
healthcare rights a key goal if elected to the city’s highest
offi ce.
On March 30, across the street from Planned Parenthood
in NoHo, Garcia announced her plans to improve
both healthcare accessibility and affordability across the
fi ve boroughs.
Access to healthcare has been a longstanding issue that’s
been long fought on the streets, in hospitals, and on Capitol
Hill. In the United States, the rate of mothers who pass
away during childbirth has increased to 17.3 deaths per
100,000 live births according to a 2017 study from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We are here today for one simple reason: We need
to save our mothers. It is time to stop talking about the
fact that Black, Latina and indigenous women giving birth
right here in New York City die at a higher rate than white
women. It is time to stop repeating the statistic that Black
women are eight times more likely to die from a pregnancy
related complication. These deaths are largely preventable,”
Garcia said.
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
Mayoral candidate Kathryn Garcia discussed the
increasing statistics of maternal deaths in the New
York and believes that they could be prevented by
improving access to healthcare and elevating the
role of midwives.
During the morning conference, Garcia pledged that
she would work to close the maternal gap, addressing this
issue by supporting mothers during the pregnancy and
postpartum care, and take a holistic approach to wellness,
including elevating the role of midwives and expanding
the use of doulas.
“Midwifery is the oldest profession in the world. We
need to expand hospital-based midwifery services in public
and private facilities and elevate the role of the midwife
including by tackling the uneven reimbursement model
for midwifery,” Garcia said. “Families deserve a trusting
relationship with someone who is invested in them.”
Garcia is calling upon the state to create a jobs pipeline,
starting with a SUNY Midwifery scholarship program that
would entice students of color to work with vulnerable
communities upon graduation. She likewise stated that it’s
more than a battle to improve healthcare access, but the
issue at hand is also about addressing the inequities and
racial disparities that affect a community’s health, which
have all been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Support for women and families will be a priority in
my administration in a way that has never been the case in
New York City, because I will be the fi rst person to hold
that offi ce that has delivered a baby. Two, to be exact,”
Garcia said. “As a mother, I am committed to supporting
families. I have proposed free childcare for our most
vulnerable families – so that our support doesn’t end a few
months after birth. We must ensure paid family leave. We
need to ensure public funding for family planning services
and protect federal, state, and local funding for organizations
like Planned Parenthood.”
Celebrate Easter at Home to
Prevent the Spread of COVID-19
• Keep your gathering small and celebrate
with household members only.
• If you choose to celebrate in person, wear
a snug fitting face covering to protect the
elderly and vulnerable.
• Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines,
including which groups are currently
eligible to receive one.
For more information, visit nyc.gov/health/coronavirus.
If you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, book your appointment
by calling 877-829-4692 (877-VAX-4NYC) or visiting nyc.gov/vaccinefinder.
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc
Commissioner
Schneps Media April 1, 2021 11
/coronavirus
/vaccinefinder
