Clinical Update
Newsletter Fall 2021
Working Toward More Equitable Care
, Assistant Clinical Professor of UCLA OBGYN and Medical Director of Labor and Delivery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, , Associate Clinical Professor of UCLA OBGYN and Vice Chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and , Associate Clinical Professor of UCLA OBGYN and Division Chief of Family Planning, are lead members of the UCLA Perinatal EDI Coalition. This group, comprising 80 members including physicians, nurses, obstetrician-gynecologists, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, midwives, administrators, social workers and others, are tasked with developing strategies for dismantling structural racism in maternity care at UCLA. In coordination with the UCLA Anti-Racist Neonatal Care Working Group they are working to improve maternal and infant mortality among Black and Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC).
The UCLA Perinatal EDI Coalition is partnering with organizations such as (NBEC) and (CMQCC) to roll out an EDI survey for postpartum patients, implement equity and safety rounds and develop focus groups regarding equity in the workplace. “We strive to treat each birthing person with respect and dignity and are collaborating to ensure each birthing person and baby receives the best UCLA has to offer. Ultimately our goal for UCLA is to have no disparities in the outcomes of any birthing people or babies,” says Dr. Zapata.