ST. LOUIS, MO - SSM Health DePaul Hospital – St. Louis is hosting The Family Birthplace 5k Run/Walk and Community Baby Shower to raise awareness about the Black maternal health crisis, a health issue that has claimed the lives of celebrity mothers such as Olympic track star Tori Bowie and entrepreneur Kira Dixon Johnson. SSM Health DePaul Hospital is partnering with BKM 4 Life Foundation for Fitness and Health (BKM 4 Life) to present The Family Birthplace 5k Run/Walk on Saturday, April 12, at 8 am. The Community Baby Shower will also be on Saturday, April 12, at 10 am.
Both events are organized to bring attention to the alarming mortality rates of Black mothers and the subsequent complications Black mothers face during pregnancy. The Community Baby Shower is for expecting mothers seeking education on their birthing journey and will provide resources for them from partnering local organizations.
Black celebrities such as Beyonce, Serena Williams, Tatyana Ali, and Allyson Felix all have experienced maternal morbidity. Black women have higher rates of preeclampsia, diabetes, and other pregnancy-related illnesses (Howell, NIH PubMed, 2019). And Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women.(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024/2021).
“It’s important for us at SSM Health DePaul Hospital to raise awareness of Black maternal health and be an active partner in the solution,” says Dr. Jade James Halbert, department chair of obstetrics and gynecology at SSM Health DePaul Hospital. “We provide exceptional care to all, especially mothers who feel unheard by the healthcare community.”
“The Black maternal health crisis is not just a women’s issue,” says Briant K. Mitchell, BKM 4 Life founder and executive director. “As husbands, fathers, and brothers, maternal morbidity impacts us as well. By partnering with The Family Birthplace at SSM Health DePaul Hospital, we hope to extend awareness of this issue into communities that do not just impact Black women.”
Who
The Family Birthplace at SSM Health DePaul Hospital – St. Louis and BKM 4 Life Foundation for Fitness and Health
What:
The Family Birthplace 5k Run/Walk
Community Baby Shower
When:
The Family Birthplace 5k Run/Walk: Saturday, April 12, starting at 8 am.
Registration is at 7 am
Community Baby Shower: Saturday, April 12, from 10 am to 1 pm
Where
SSM Health DePaul Hospital – St. Louis
12303 Depaul Drive
Bridgeton, MO 63044
Registration Details
Registration is required.
5K Registration
Sign up for the Family Birthplace 5K Run/Walk.
Community Baby Shower Registration
Sign up for the Community Baby Shower.
About SSM Health
Nationally recognized for quality and innovation, SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit, fully integrated health system working to advance health equity and empower all people to achieve their full potential.
convenient access to high-quality community-based services as well as world-class academic medicine, clinical trials, and research studies. The organization’s footprint includes hospitals, physician offices, outpatient and virtual care services, senior care, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a fully transparent pharmacy benefit company, a health insurance company, and an accountable care organization. As one of the largest employers in every community it serves, the organization’s 40,000 team members and 13,900+ providers are dedicated to fulfilling SSM Health’s Mission: “Through our exceptional health care services, we reveal the healing presence of God.” Like our founding sisters, we care deeply for our communities -- SSM Health reported $470 million in community benefit in 2023, including the provision of more than $346 million in uncompensated care. For more information, visit ssmhealth.com or find us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
