Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee

About the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee

The MMMRC is a 17-member multidisciplinary committee. Chapter 34, Texas Health and Safety Code, directs the MMMRC to study and review:

• cases of pregnancy-related deaths;
• trends, rates, or disparities in pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity;
• health conditions and factors that disproportionately affect the most at-risk populations; and
• best practices and programs operating in other states that have reduced rates of pregnancy-related deaths.
  

Through this process, the MMMRC develops recommendations to help reduce the incidence of preventable pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity in the state.

The Review Committee must include representatives of each of the following:

• Four physicians specializing in obstetrics, at least one of whom is a maternal fetal medicine specialist
• One certified nurse-midwife
• One registered nurse
• One nurse specializing in labor and delivery
• One physician specializing in family practice
• One physician specializing in psychiatry
• One physician specializing in pathology
• One epidemiologist, biostatistician, or researcher of pregnancy-related deaths
• One social worker or social service provider
• One community advocate in a relevant field
• One medical examiner or coroner responsible for recording death
• One physician specializing in critical care
• A representative of the department's family and community health programs.
• The state’s epidemiologist for the department or the epidemiologist's designee.
  

A committee member must regularly participate in committee meetings and may also have to participate in subcommittee meetings, projects and presentations. Committee meetings will be held at least quarterly in Austin or at the decision of the presiding officer. Teleconference case review meetings will be held at least twice monthly. Committee members do not receive reimbursement for time or travel expenses to participate on the committee.

To Learn More

For more information about the committee or about applying to be on the committee, contact Sarah Beard at MaternalHealth@dshs.texas.gov.

Background and Purpose

The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force was created by Senate Bill 495, 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013,  which added Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 34. Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force. The name of the Task Force was changed to the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review  Committee  by Senate Bill 750, 86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019 in alignment with the federal Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2018. Later in 2019, the review committee was awarded Center for Disease Control and Prevention funding for the for the Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality (ERASE MM) Program.  

The multidisciplinary review committee within the DSHS will study maternal mortality and morbidity. The review committee:

• studies and reviews cases of pregnancy-related deaths and trends in severe maternal morbidity,
• determines the feasibility of the review committee studying cases of severe maternal morbidity, and
• makes recommendations to help reduce the incidence of pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity in Texas.
  

The review committee and DSHS must submit a joint report on the findings of the review committee and recommendations to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Representatives, and appropriate committees of the Texas Legislature by September 1 of each even-numbered year, beginning Sept. 1, 2016.

Members of the review committee are appointed by the DSHS commissioner and serve six-year staggered terms.

Current Members

Dr. Lisa Hollier, Chair, Physician specializing in Obstetrics, maternal fetal medicine specialist, Houston
Dr. Carla Ortique, Vice Chair, Physician specializing in Obstetrics, Houston
Dr. Manda Hall, DSHS representative - Associate Commissioner Community Health Improvement Division, Austin
Dr. Meitra Doty, Physician specializing in Psychiatry, Dallas
Dr. Kelly Fegan-Bohm, DSHS representative - State Epidemiologist Interim Designee, Austin
Vacant, Community Advocate
Dr. Pamala Gessling, Registered Nurse, Dallas
Dr. James Maher, Physician specializing in Obstetrics, Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist, Odessa
Dr. D. Kimberley Molina, Medical Examiner, San Antonio
Dr. Sherri Onyiego, Physician specializing in Family Practice, Houston     
Dr. Amy Raines-Milenkov, Researcher of pregnancy-related deaths, Fort Worth
Dr. Patrick Ramsey, Physician specializing in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, San Antonio
Ms. Nancy Jo Reedy, Certified Nurse-Midwife, Arlington
Ms. Nancy Alderman, Social Worker, Austin
Dr. Eumenia Castro, Pathologist, Houston
Dr. Lavannya Pandit, Physician specializing in Critical Care, Houston
Dr. Christina Murphey, Nurse specializing in Labor and Delivery, Corpus Christi

Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee Legislative Reports

Texas Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee and Department of State Health Services Joint Biennial Report, December 2020

Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force and Department of State Health Services Joint Biennial Report, September 2018

Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force and Department of State Health Services Joint Biennial Report, July 2016

Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force Report, September 2014  

Maternal Mortality in Texas: Using Precision Public Health to Improve Maternal Outcomes (with Appendix) 

Explanation of methodologies and sources used in various interpretations of the rates of maternal mortality and related causes and risk factors in Texas, as well as examples of activities and collaborations (planned or already in place) directly related to the recommendations made by the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee.

Maternal Mortality in Texas: Using Precision Public Health to Improve Maternal Outcomes

Appendix – Maternal Mortality in Texas:  A Comparison of Maternal Mortality Rate Change Using Different Methods 

Upcoming Meeting Dates

For More Information on Maternal and Mortality and Morbidity, please contact MaternalHealth@DSHS.texas.gov or:

Texas Department of State Health Services
Maternal & Child Health
PO Box 149347, Mail Code 1922
Austin, TX 78714-9347
(512) 776-7373: Phone
(512) 458-7658: Fax

External links to other sites are intended to be informational and do not have the endorsement of the Texas Department of State Health Services. These external links may not be accessible to persons with disabilities.