Dr. Que English, president and chief executive officer of Elev8 Health, interviewed with Our Weekly to discuss maternity deaths, the organization, and how their tour educates mothers on pregnancy and childbirth.
Q: Why are there so many maternity deaths if so many are preventable?
A: The reality is heartbreaking: over 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable. Yet they continue to occur at alarming rates, especially among Black and Indigenous women. The reasons are both complex and interconnected.
We must acknowledge the broken systems surrounding maternal care—limited access to consistent prenatal and postpartum care, fragmented insurance coverage, and overwhelmed providers. Systemic racism compounds the problem: implicit bias in healthcare settings often leads to delays in diagnosis, dismissal of symptoms, and poor treatment outcomes for women of color.
We also cannot ignore the role of social determinants of health—poverty, housing instability, food insecurity, lack of transportation, and maternal mental health all shape a woman’s risk. Addressing this crisis requires bold, multi-layered solutions that center equity, accountability, and community voice.
Q: Is neglect a problem in the medical field, and if so, is it a system problem or a human problem?
A: It’s both. Neglect in maternal care is driven by systemic failures—overburdened providers, rigid hospital protocols, insurance barriers, and a lack of integrated mental health support. But it’s also a deeply human problem, rooted in implicit bias, dismissal of women’s voices, and the failure to trust that women know their bodies best.
We’ve heard far too many stories of women reporting symptoms over and over again, only to be ignored. That kind of neglect has led to devastating outcomes: the loss of mothers, babies, and sometimes both.
This dual reality creates a dangerous environment where too many women feel unheard, unseen, and unsupported throughout their pregnancy and postpartum journey. To save lives, we must address the structures and behaviors that allow this crisis to persist.
Q: Are midwives and at-home births better for Black women than hospital births?
A: There has been growing conversation around this, and the truth is—it depends. There are strong evidence-based models where midwives are integrated into hospital systems (like in California), and those models have led to better outcomes and higher patient satisfaction.
It’s not always about choosing between hospital or home—it’s about the quality of care, respect, and support a woman receives, regardless of setting. Many Black women turn to midwives and community birth workers because they feel more seen, heard, and respected. But ultimately, the safest choice is a well-supported choice, with providers trained in cultural humility and systems built for equity.
Q: Besides the THRIVE Tour, how else is Elev8 helping women?
A: Elev8 Health is expanding its impact in several powerful ways. Through the THRIVE Women’s Wellness Network, we are creating safe, ongoing spaces for healing, connection, and support.
We’re also laying the groundwork to train a culturally competent doula workforce, ensuring that care reflects the voices and needs of the communities we serve.
In partnership with houses of worship, we’re transforming trusted community spaces into wellness hubs. As part of this model, we are empowering and training THRIVE Ambassadors—local women who serve as peer supporters, wellness guides, and connectors to resources for pregnant and postpartum women. These trusted messengers are a vital bridge between the community and care.
Through storytelling, we’re amplifying the lived experiences of women to drive awareness, shift narratives, and inform policy at every level.
Q: How can the community connect with you and your organization?
A: We welcome connection and collaboration!
Email: QueEnglish@elev8health.org
Twitter & Instagram: @Elev8HealthInc
Facebook: @ThriveTour
Website: www.Elev8Health.org