Philadelphia Inquirer Article Highlights Temple and Maternal Wellness Village Partnership Selected for $5.99 Million in PCORI Research Funding for Study on Black Maternal Heart Health

The Philadelphia Inquirer highlighted a new partnership between researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and community-based providers from Maternal Wellness Village under the auspices of Oshun Family Center, and their recent approval for a five-year, $5.99 million award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to compare two approaches for reducing heart disease risk factors in Black birthing people. The overarching goal of the study is to eliminate disturbing disparities in heart disease, including heart attack and stroke, among Black women and birthing people during and after pregnancy. The Inquirer interviewed Sharon J. Herring, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Program for Maternal Health Equity at the Katz School of Medicine, and Saleemah McNeil, MS, MFT, Program Director of Maternal Wellness Village, a collective of Philadelphia-based Black birth workers. The two are co-principal investigators on the study. Additional partners include faculty and staff from Temple’s Center for Urban Bioethics and the Departments of Obstetrics and Reproductive Sciences, Cardiology and Clinical Sciences. The Inquirer article was picked up by multiple outlets, including the Charlotte Observer and the Kansas City Star.