Women’s Health
Awards Received:
Champion of Women’s Health by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast
Legislative Champion by the Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition
2017:
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Senate Bill 1599, seeks to improve data related to maternal mortality and, in doing so, reduce Texas's current high rates of pregnancy-related deaths. Specifically, the bill will require the Department of State Health Services to post information on its website regarding the systematic protocol for pregnancy-related death investigations and the best practices for reporting those deaths. SB 1599 was signed by the governor and is effective September 1, 2017.
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Senate Bill 17 (Added Amendment), to extend the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force until 2023. This bill also charges the task force to continue studying best practices to curb their maternal death rates, look at the health disparities and socioeconomic status of the mothers dying in Texas and find solutions to help women with postpartum depression. Senator Miles added an amendment targeting the second leading cause of maternal deaths, substance abuse, notably regarding opioids. His amendment gives physicians the substance abuse screening tools and resources to better identify and help at-risk pregnant women. SB 17 was signed by the governor and is effective immediately.
2019:
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SB 559 by Miles, Maternal Mortality Death Records (amended onto SB 750)
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SB 559 directs hospitals, birthing centers, or other parties to submit all records in relation to a maternal death to DSHS within 30 business days of a request to improve response time. It is a recommendation of the 2018 Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force Report.
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In 2017, Sen. Miles passed SB 1599 which directed the Department of State Health Services to develop the best practices for reporting pregnancy-related deaths and when they should be investigated by the medical examiner.
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DSHS and the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity task force are required to go through case records in order to determine their findings. These case records are crucial for the task force to review. However, during their research process DSHS received delayed responses to their record requests. For the year 2012, the waiting period for records from the date requested ranged from 3 days to up to 537 days. This bill will improve the research process for studying maternal mortality in Texas