KCTV: Saint Luke's, UMKC Leading New Study to Help Address Maternal Mortality

Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute and the Healthcare Institute for Innovations in Quality at University of Missouri-Kansas City are leading a nationwide study aimed at combating maternal mortality. Their focus is women with cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of maternal death. The study is taking a comprehensive look at how to fix the problem.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes of Health awarded more than $8.3 million to fund the study. Heart Outcomes in Pregnancy Expectations (HOPE) is a study that will assess the experiences of 1,000 pregnant mothers nationwide.

KCTV talked to Dr. Anna Grodzinsky, cardiologist and co-principal investigator of HOPE for Mom and Baby, and two local mothers who participated in the pilot phase of the study.