The General Assembly finds that: (1) Maternal deaths are a serious public health concern and have a tremendous family and societal impact; (2) Maternal deaths are significantly underestimated and inadequately documented, preventing efforts to identify and reduce or eliminate the causes of death; (3) No processes exist in the State for the confidential identification, investigation, or dissemination of […]
The Secretary shall establish a Maternal Mortality Review Program to review maternal deaths and to develop strategies for the prevention of maternal deaths.
(a) The Secretary may contract with MedChi to administer the Maternal Mortality Review Program. (b) In consultation with the maternal mortality review committee of MedChi, the Secretary shall develop a system to: (1) Identify maternal death cases; (2) Review medical records and other relevant data; (3) Contact family members and other affected or involved persons to collect additional relevant data; […]
(a) A health care provider or health care facility, as defined under Title 19, Subtitles 3, 3A, and 3B of this article, shall provide the Maternal Mortality Review Program reasonable access to all relevant medical records associated with a case under review by the Maternal Mortality Review Program. (b) The provisions of Title 4, Subtitle 3 of […]
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Title 4, Subtitle 3 of this article, if a patient of a health care provider or a health care facility dies of a maternal death and the health care provider or the health care facility has knowledge of the circumstances of the death, the health care provider or the health care […]
(a) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, there may be a multidisciplinary and multiagency maternal mortality review team in each county. (2) (i) Two or more counties may agree to establish a single multicounty local team. (ii) A multicounty local team shall execute a memorandum of understanding on membership, staffing, and operation. (b) If a local team is established […]
(a) The purpose of a local team is to prevent maternal deaths by: (1) Promoting cooperation and coordination among agencies involved in preventing and responding to maternal deaths or in providing services to surviving family members; (2) Developing an understanding of the causes and incidence of maternal deaths in the county; (3) Developing plans for and recommending changes within […]
On request of the chair of the local team and as necessary to carry out the local team’s purpose and duties, the local team shall be provided: (1) Access to all relevant information and records in accordance with the local team’s data use agreement with the Department; and (2) Access, to the extent allowed by law, to […]
(a) A meeting of a local team shall be closed to the public and not subject to Title 3 of the General Provisions Article when a local team is discussing individual cases of maternal deaths. (b) Subject to subsection (c) of this section, a meeting of a local team shall be open to the public and subject […]
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the proceedings, records, and files of a local team are confidential and privileged, and are not discoverable or admissible as evidence in any civil or criminal proceeding. (b) Statistical compilations of data that do not contain any information that would cause the identification of any person to be ascertained […]
(a) On or before December 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit a report on findings, recommendations, and Program actions to the Governor and, subject to § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, to the General Assembly. (b) The Secretary shall include in the report required under subsection (a) of this section: (1) A summary of any […]
(a) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, at least twice a year, the Secretary shall convene a meeting of stakeholders, including: (i) Representatives of: 1. The Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities; 2. The Maryland Patient Safety Center; 3. The Maryland Healthy Start Program; 4. Women’s health advocacy organizations; 5. Community organizations engaged in maternal health and family support […]
