Do Something

Support health equity

If you are interested in supporting the Science Center, there are many ways for you to do so: become a partner or a corporate partner, sponsor an event, or donate. Visit their website to learn more. 

Attend the Event: Innovation in Maternal Health at Venture Cafe Philadelphia on March 24. Sessions begin at 3 PM, see the event schedule and register here

Connect WITH OUR SOCIAL ACTION TEAM



Learn More

Causes and consequences of racism on maternity

Not even motherhood can escape the pervasive harm of racism. 

For the serious researcher into the root causes of maternity care disparities in the US, this American Journal of Public Health article is a must-read: Black Maternal and Infant Health: Historical Legacies of Slavery.

Miriam Zoila Pérez gave this TEDtalk in October 2016: How racism harms pregnant women — and what can help, where she discusses a prenatal program designed to address the relationship between race, class, and illness. 

 

Get Involved

Boost your citizenship with our citizen's toolkit

One of the founding tenants of The Philadelphia Citizen is to get people the resources they need to become better, more engaged citizens of their city.

We hope to do that in our Good Citizenship Toolkit, which includes a host of ways to get involved in Philadelphia—whether you want to take up the fight against institutional racism, get those experiencing homelessness the goods they need, or simply go out to dinner somewhere where you know your money is going toward a greater good.

Find an issue that’s important to you in the list below, and get started on your journey of A-plus citizenship.

Vote and strengthen democracy

Stand up for marginalized communities

Create a cleaner, greener Philadelphia

Help our local youth and schools succeed

Support local businesses

Guest Commentary

Keeping Mothers — and Their Babies — Alive

Black women made up 43 percent of births in Philly but 73 percent of pregnancy-related deaths from 2013 to 2018. We must, the Science Center’s CEO urges, commit more resources in maternal health — and the leaders close to the cause

Guest Commentary

Keeping Mothers — and Their Babies — Alive

Black women made up 43 percent of births in Philly but 73 percent of pregnancy-related deaths from 2013 to 2018. We must, the Science Center’s CEO urges, commit more resources in maternal health — and the leaders close to the cause

Since the 1980s, maternal mortality rates have risen in the United States. When you extrapolate the data based on race, the safe delivery of a newborn gets more complicated.

In a city like Philadelphia, with a majority-Black population, Black women made up 43 percent of births in Philadelphia from 2013 to 2018 but accounted for a disproportionate 73 percent of pregnancy-related deaths.

There’s no overnight solution to this problem, but raising awareness and getting a critical mass to care is a necessary first step. Like so many facets of our society, skin color and zip code are underlying factors in how these problems are framed and the importance we place on solving them. A recent study concluded that the life expectancy between neighborhoods in Philadelphia can vary by nearly 20 years.

Prioritizing healthcare access for underserved communities, and the men and women who carry the weight of these statistics, is a vision for the now.

At the University City Science Center, we open our doors to a community of compassionate innovators and entrepreneurs, researchers and academics who have witnessed and experienced these disparities firsthand.

Prioritizing health care access for underserved communities, and the men and women who carry the weight of these statistics, is a vision for the now. Last summer, we announced a new strategic pillar and investment vehicle to deploy funds to diverse founders determined to drive change. That infusion of capital matched with our proven commercialization model will help put the Science Center—and Philadelphia—at the forefront of health care innovation with a tremendous opportunity to positively impact patient outcomes.

In 2020, women-led startup founders received only 2.3 percent of venture capital funding compared to their male counterparts. We must tip the scales and grant more opportunities to those who are closest to problems like infant and female mortality, postpartum depression and the countless other women’s health challenges that need to be addressed in the 21st century—not the 22nd.

Recently, the National Institutes of Health announced a competition to award several financial prizes—totaling $1 million—to innovators with prototypes and research projects that show promise on this front. The American Heart Association has also stepped up, announcing $20 million to research ‘the disproportionate impact of maternal complications and death among Black women, Native American women and women who live in rural areas.’ A Science Center company, Viora Health, was among one of the first recipients of this funding for a technology being used to increase access to care and reduce disease progression in underserved communities.

The federal government and industry associations are taking a leadership position and asking us all—particularly those in the private sector—to make our own contributions to a global cause. It’s important that we listen.

Investors like Chrissy Farr at OMERS Ventures, Arlan Hamilton at Backstage Capital, and Jennifer Hartt of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania are some of the leaders who recognize an opportunity to fix historic disparities in health care through new programs and technology.

It will take time, but the cost of complacency is too significant. The first step is bringing some of these minds and varying perspectives together to identify new and innovative solutions to old challenges. We invite you to attend a series of discussions focused on ‘Innovation in Maternal Health’ at Venture Café Philadelphia on Thursday, March 24. You’ll hear from cross-disciplinary leaders from clinical settings, those with entrepreneurial backgrounds, and investors, on where we are headed and how we can influence positive outcomes by leveraging Greater Philadelphia’s collective expertise.

Generations have felt the impact of inequality and lack of access to health care. Through concerted collaborations, the growth of support for innovation and starting a dialogue, Philadelphia has the potential to be a global example of how to improve outcomes for women, women of color, and mothers-to-be everywhere.


Tiffany Wilson is CEO of the University City Science Center.

The Citizen welcomes guest commentary from community members who stipulate to the best of their ability that it is fact-based and non-defamatory.

MORE ON HEALTHCARE FROM THE CITIZEN

Breaking Barriers to Black Health

“Putting Race At The Forefront”

Ideas We Should Steal: Universal Child Care

Citizens of the Week: Lynette Medley and Nya McGlone

 

Header photo by Dexswaggerboy / Unsplash

The Philadelphia Citizen will only publish thoughtful, civil comments. If your post is offensive, not only will we not publish it, we'll laugh at you while hitting delete.

Support Your Local Journalism. "With your help, we can be the antidote to the failures of big media, the bitterness of national politics, your post-election malaise and the confusion about what to do now" - Roxanne Patel Shepelavy, Executive Director, The Philadelphia Citizen. Button that says Give that leads to a donation page for end of year fundraising. Your gift will fund independent, local journalism and solutions for Philadelphia.

Be a Citizen Editor

Suggest a Story

Advertising Terms

We do not accept political ads, issue advocacy ads, ads containing expletives, ads featuring photos of children without documented right of use, ads paid for by PACs, and other content deemed to be partisan or misaligned with our mission. The Philadelphia Citizen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and all affiliate content will be nonpartisan in nature. Advertisements are approved fully at The Citizen's discretion. Advertisements and sponsorships have different tax-deductible eligibility. For questions or clarification on these conditions, please contact Director of Sales & Philanthropy Kristin Long at [email protected] or call (609)-602-0145.