The Maternal Mortality Prevention Program (MMPP) exists to eliminate preventable maternal deaths in the State of Colorado, reduce maternal morbidities, and improve population health and health equity for pregnant and postpartum people. This practice impacts the maternal population in Colorado, focusing on deaths that occur during pregnancy and up to one year after pregnancy, regardless of the cause.

The MMPP is responsible for administering the Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC), a multidisciplinary committee that reviews every maternal death that occurs in the state. The MMPP works to prevent maternal deaths by improving the maternal mortality review process and implementing recommendations for prevention through community-led solutions, clinical quality improvement, and public health programs, including evidence-based interventions to reduce disparities and achieve health equity in maternal health outcomes.

Colorado’s commitment to reviewing maternal mortality was put in statute in May 2019 when Gov. Jared Polis signed the bipartisan Maternal Mortality Prevention Act to formalize and fund the Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC). It also provided subpoena protection for MMRC members, and required affected communities to be represented on the MMRC. The legislation also enabled Colorado to apply for and receive grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ERASE Maternal Mortality grant program, which began in October 2019. The CDC grant supports the state to expand its three-pronged strategy of community-led solutions, clinical quality improvement, and public health programs. With funds from the CDC and the state, Colorado can collect better data, analyze and publish data more frequently, and implement recommendations to prevent deaths and improve maternal health equity.