A Health Issue Brief that discusses Maternal Mortality: [it] is universally recognized as a public health priority and used as an indicator of a country’s overall level of health.1 For the last three decades, the number of women across the U.S. who die during pregnancy, labor or within a year of giving birth has steadily increased. This rate—called the Maternal Mortality Rate— continues to rise, despite the U.S. outspending all other nations in hospital-based maternity care. When compared to 10 similar wealthy, developed countries, the U.S. is ranked last in preventing pregnancy-related deaths.2 This is despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deeming more than 60% of these deaths to be preventable.