ADHS official: most pregnancy‑related deaths reviewed were preventable; Western Region shows sharp disparities

Martin Celaya of the Arizona Department of Health Services presented the Arizona Western Region maternal mortality report, telling the board that the state's Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) reviewed deaths from 2018–2022 to identify causes and prevention opportunities. "The Arizona MMRC found that 91 percent out of these 149 pregnancy related deaths reviewed in 2018 to 2022 were preventable," he said, summarizing the committee's preventability findings and urging attention to postpartum care and care coordination.

Celaya reviewed the MMRC's data and top recommendations. He said the statewide pregnancy‑related mortality ratio increased through 2021—partly because of infection‑related deaths tied to the COVID‑19 period—and fell in 2022 as infection deaths declined. The MMRC identified mental‑health conditions, infection and hemorrhage among the principal underlying causes and emphasized standardized facility protocols, trauma‑informed screening, expanding perinatal treatment capacity and clearer triage/transport pathways as the top five strategies to reduce deaths. Celaya also highlighted stark disparities: American Indian and Alaska Native women had a reported PRMR of 130.8 per 100,000 live births—more than five times the rate for White non‑Hispanic women—while Medicaid‑funded births accounted for a disproportionate share of maternal deaths in the state.

The presentation included a Western Region focus (Mohave, La Paz and Yuma counties), where ADHS reported roughly 10 pregnancy‑related deaths in the review period and said approximately nine of those were judged preventable; discrimination and late postpartum deaths were noted as recurring contributors. Board members asked how Arizona's preventability percentage compared to national figures; ADHS said the state's percent was slightly higher but comparable to recent CDC‑reported national estimates. The board did not take action during the presentation but discussed follow‑up and local hospital capacity implications.