Black Maternal Health Week is a time to acknowledge persistent disparities in maternal outcomes and to highlight the work being done locally to ensure safer pregnancies, healthier births and stronger families. 

At Spartanburg Regional, improving maternal health outcomes — particularly for Black women and families — is a priority embedded across clinical programs, community partnerships and grant-funded initiatives.  

These efforts focus on reducing barriers to care, strengthening support during high-risk pregnancies and addressing the social drivers that affect maternal and infant health. 

In South Carolina, Black women are 67% more likely to die from pregnancy- or postpartum-related causes than white women, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated, equity-driven solutions. 

“The disparities we see in maternal health outcomes are preventable, and addressing them is a responsibility we take seriously,” said Staci Gallman, the manager for Women and Children Services at Spartanburg Regional. “Through data-driven care, expanded access, and community-based support, we are working to close these gaps and provide Black mothers with the care, respect and resources they deserve.” 

Spartanburg Regional leads and participates in multiple community health partnerships aimed at improving access to care and outcomes through coalitions across Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties. 

• The system’s OB/GYN Residency Program helps expand maternity care access in areas facing provider shortages, while also supporting uninsured and underinsured women. 
• Through AccessHealth, eligible residents receive coordinated medical, behavioral and social support using a nationally recognized care navigation model. 
• Spartanburg Regional also oversees several grant-funded maternal and infant health programs designed to meet families where they are.  
• The Maternity Management Program is a program for moms with high-risk or socially vulnerable pregnancies.  
• Nurse-Family Partnership provides home visits for first-time, low-income mothers. 
• Family Connects offers postpartum nurse visits in zip codes with worse birth outcomes.  
• BirthMatters is a community-based doula program that supports families before, during and after birth. 

These clinical and system-level initiatives help pave the way toward a brighter future in maternal health. 

Through collaboration, data-informed planning and community-centered care, Spartanburg Regional is working to close gaps in maternal health and support Black mothers—not only during Black Maternal Health Week, but every week of the year.