A Community and Provider Partnership

Research continues to indicate African-American mothers die at three to four times the rate of non-Hispanic white mothers, and infants born to African-American mothers die at twice the rate as their non-Hispanic, white counterparts, regardless of household education levels and socioeconomic status.  African-Americans in Colorado report higher preterm birth rates- 11.6 percent, as compared to 8.2 percent among white, non-Hispanic births, further complicated by higher rates of low birth-weight babies.

The outcomes and lessons learned in this work will focus on the impact of the patient-doctor relationship, promote patient/family advocacy, improve feelings of mistrust in medicine, and aid practical skill building for all parties. Overall, Children’s Hospital Colorado and its educational and clinical partners seek to build a relationship with its community to deliver culturally responsive care models.