Applications are currently closed for the Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Panel. However, we occasionally need additional experts in a particular expertise area (e.g., past such areas have included things like intimate partner violence prevention or perinatal psychiatry). We also always encourage new members representing tribal and urban Indian health knowledge and from American Indian / Alaska Native / Indigenous communities.
If you have questions about the application process or want to be kept in mind for future applications (likely around the end of 2025), please send us an email at maternalmortalityreview@doh.wa.gov.
If when it comes time to complete this application and you find the length of the application to be a barrier, please also don't hesitate to contact us at maternalmortalityreview@doh.wa.gov.
(Previous application deadline: November 16, 2022 5:00 P.M.)
BACKGROUND:
In May 2019, Governor Inslee signed Senate Bill 5425 establishing a permanent Maternal Mortality Review Panel (MMRP, Panel) in our state. With the new legislation, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH, the Department) invites applications for membership every three years. It is time to empanel a new Panel, and we are accepting applications.
The law directs the Department of Health to convene a multidisciplinary Maternal Mortality Review Panel to conduct comprehensive reviews of maternal deaths in the state to determine which deaths are related to pregnancy, determine which deaths are preventable, identify factors surrounding the deaths, and make recommendations for health care and systems changes to improve maternal health and health care in our state.
For more information, please visit these websites:
Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Panel at the Department of Health
Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Report 2023
Review to Action
CDC ERASE MM
Black Mamas Matter Alliance
Expectations of Members of the Maternal Mortality Review Panel
Membership to the Panel is completely voluntary. Nominees are appointed by the Secretary of Health to serve for a term of three years (2023–2025).
The Panel will include experts such as:
- Tribal health or urban Indian health leaders and providers
- Medical, nursing, and service providers specializing in perinatal, obstetric, newborn, or pediatric care, such as clinicians, midwives, doulas, community health workers, nurses, social workers, other providers. This may also include experts in obstetric care with other relevant clinical expertise areas, such as cardiology, oncology, or autoimmune disorders.
- Birthing hospital or licensed birthing center representatives
- Coroners, medical examiners, or pathologists
- Behavioral health and service providers
- State agency representatives
- Experts in health equity and social determinants of health issues (e.g., racism, housing access) as they impact maternal mortality, perinatal care, and pregnancy outcomes.
- Individuals with other expertise areas at the Department of Health’s discretion (e.g., injury and violence prevention, WIC, researchers, CPS, EMS, etc.)
- Individuals or organizations that represent the populations most affected by pregnancy-related deaths or pregnancy-associated deaths and lack of access to maternal health care services.
- In Washington, this includes people who have been pregnant and/or experienced childbirth AND who are Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Medicaid (Apple Health) recipients, from low income backgrounds, or have experienced mental and behavioral health conditions such as opioid use disorder or postpartum depression.
- It also includes people are closely related to people who meet these criteria.
Panel members are required to attend at least 2–3 maternal mortality review meetings per year (all of which are online/virtual), attend up to 5 additional online presentations per year, participate in onboarding and health equity trainings, and respond to agency communications in a timely manner. Every three years, the Panel conducts a meeting or meetings to review recommendations from previous years for the maternal mortality report to the legislature.
All meetings are currently conducted virtually. Meeting frequency will increase or decrease depending on the workload of the year in review.
Onboarding and additional training opportunities will be online and are available at no cost.
Panel members volunteer in a variety of capacities, including one or more of the following:
- Attending maternal mortality review meetings on a rotating basis.
- Providing consultation as clinical or subject-matter experts.
- Volunteering as a lead panel member to assist DOH staff with preparing for review meetings.
- Collaborating with DOH to develop recommendations for policy makers and systems that impact perinatal care.
- Disseminating findings.
- Providing guidance on policy and legislative action.
Panel members must hold a current license from the Washington State Department of Health OR agree to provide at least 3 references for DOH staff to contact and confirm information on application. This information will be kept confidential and is not subject to public disclosure per RCW 70.54.450
All the Panel members serve in a volunteer capacity and do not receive compensation from the Department for their participation in the review process. To address potential financial barriers to participation, reimbursement may be available in the form of stipends and allowances consistent with RCW 43.03.220 for Panel members who are low income or have lived experience to support their participation on the Panel when the Department determines such participation is desirable in order to implement principles of equity consistent with guidance issued by the Washington State Office of Equity. To receive funds, Panel members must contact the MMRP Coordinator in advance of activities for which they are requesting reimbursement.
If appointed to the MMRP, panel members who do not respond to communications or do not participate in a minimum amount of Panel activities, including onboarding and training, will be assumed to no longer want to participate.
Case review meetings and other materials will use gender inclusive language about perinatal and maternal mortality, as cases indicate.
Any Panel member may end their appointment at any time for any reason.