About Maternal Violent Deaths

The impact of violence is often overlooked as a contributor to maternal mortality.  
 
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Women’s Health provides the Tennessee Department of Health with funding to reduce Maternal Deaths Due to Violence. This is a 5-year grant that promotes initiatives that 1) implement and improve the data collection and reporting system that identifies and reviews maternal death, 2) implement evidence-based strategies to reduce maternal deaths due to violence, and 3) implement a process and outcome evaluation and develop a plan to sustain efforts to reduce maternal deaths due to violence. 
 
The Tennessee Department of Health has been reviewing pregnancy-associated deaths since 2017. From 2017 to 2022, 555 deaths were reviewed. Of those, 84 were intentional violent deaths, with 57 dying by homicide and 27 by suicide. The majority were determined by the review team to be preventable. This data highlights the importance of prevention initiatives around risk factors identified during the reviews. Key risk factors to be addressed include intimate partner violence and postpartum depression.  
 
During this funding period, the Tennessee Department of Health will focus on intimate partner violence through training home-visiting staff, care coordinators, and healthcare providers. Trainings will cover recognizing and screening for intimate partner violence, as well as local and state resources for victims. Another focus for this project will address postpartum depression through training healthcare providers and home-visiting staff in recognizing and screening for depression and anxiety throughout the pregnancy and postpartum periods.  
 
As part of this grant project, an evaluation plan has been developed. The evaluation will utilize a mixed-methods approach to assess the impact of programmatic activities. The purpose of the evaluation is to enhance program activities and identify opportunities to sustain them in order to reduce and prevent violent maternal deaths. 
 
To stay informed about upcoming trainings, events, and updates related to the Prevention of Maternal Violent Deaths initiative, please sign up for our newsletterhttps://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1999030/1969454/ 
 
 
In response to Tennessee's rising rate of maternal mortality, the Maternal Health Task Force(MHTF) was established to engage partners statewide to identify and address issues and find opportunities to improve maternal health. 
 
The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) recognizes the importance of a coordinated and strategic approach to addressing maternal health. To advance this statewide effort, the MHTF, convenes a multidisciplinary group of maternal health leaders, community members, and persons with lived and living experience.  
 
The MHTF welcomes members who wish to help advance this work and improve maternal health in Tennessee. Membership is free and is tiered to support the level of activity each member wishes to have. 
Navigate to the Maternal Health Task Force page to learn more and apply.