Cedars-Sinai Expert Selected to Lead California Maternal Health Panel
Kimberly Gregory, MD, MPH, Chairs State Public Health Department Committee Helping to Improve Pregnancy Outcomes
Cedars-Sinai maternal-fetal medicine leader Kimberly Gregory, MD, MPH, is the new chair of the California Pregnancy-Associated Review Committee (CA-PARC).
Formerly known as the California Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (CA-PARM), the committee conducts in-depth investigations of deaths during—and up to one year after— pregnancy. The goal is to identify the causes of maternal loss of life, and any contributing factors, in order to develop evidence-based recommendations for prevention.
CA-PARM was established in 2006 by the California Department of Public Health, in partnership with the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, where Gregory has also served.
“We couldn't be more excited about Dr. Gregory's appointment to lead CA-PARC. Her leadership experience with the state committee, a distinguished career as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and her critical research on maternal health outcomes and disparities make her perfectly suited for this role,” said Amanda Williams, MD, MPH, the Clinical Innovation Advisor at the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative.
Gregory is the director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and vice chair of Women's Healthcare Quality and Performance Improvement in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai.
“Death associated with pregnancy is a tragic event, impacting families and communities. Each woman who died while pregnant, or in the postpartum period, deserves a thorough and respectful review of what contributed to their death. It is my honor to serve as chair of CA-PARC and to work with a team who is thoughtful and diligent with this sensitive review process. We are dedicated to work that may keep others from dying from preventable causes,” said Gregory, who holds the Helping Hand of Los Angeles–Miriam Jacobs Chair, Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
Gregory joined Cedars-Sinai in 1992, after receiving her medical degree from the Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program and completing her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. She went on to earn a master’s degree in public health from Harvard University before completing a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at LAC+USC Medical Center.
A major focus of Gregory’s research over the past decade has been examining the hospital childbirth experience from the mother’s perspective. Her goal is for hospitals to provide a safer and more meaningful experience for women in their care, addressing concerns that range from better pain management to breastfeeding policies.
“Dr. Gregory has been steadfastly committed to improving obstetric outcomes for women for her entire career. She is a compassionate physician whose dedication to providing her patients the best possible care also drives her innovative research to identify and reduce racial and ethnic disparities that can impact the healthcare women of color receive. She wants every pregnant patient to receive the best possible care available,” said Sarah Kilpatrick, MD, PhD, the Helping Hand of Los Angeles Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai.
Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Equitable, Personalized Care for Women and Children of Color