Grant Makers in Health: Q&A: How the Chicago South Side Birth Center is Championing a Better Approach to Maternal Health

Our Chief Investment Officer Shruti Jayaraman and our Leader in Residence Jeanine Valrie Logan, the Founder + Lead Steward of CSSBC were interviewed for this article for Grant Makers in Health where they spoke about CSSBC’s vision and Chicago Beyond’s unique partnership perspective.

According to a 2024 report published by the Commonwealth Fund, the United States has a higher maternal mortality rate than any other high-income country. This is driven in part by the maternal health disparities experienced by Black women, who are three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Efforts are underway across the country to address this crisis, including in Illinois, where earlier in 2024, the state’s governor included a $23 million commitment to birth equity efforts in his 2025 fiscal year budget.

Grantmakers In Health (GIH) recently spoke with Jeanine Valrie Logan, Founder + Lead Steward of the Chicago South Side Birth Center, and Shruti Jayaraman, Chief Investments Officer of Chicago Beyond, to learn how the Chicago South Side Birth Center and Chicago Beyond are working together to improve maternal health outcomes for mothers in one of Chicago’s most underserved communities. This interview has been edited for style and clarity.

Read the full article here