Maternal Mortality Review Committee moves into executive session to review confidential death summaries

Lisa Budris, an epidemiologist at the Connecticut Department of Public Health, opened the Maternal Mortality Review Committee meeting and said the panel would enter an executive session to review confidential maternal death summaries.

The meeting began with roll call and brief introductions. Among those who identified themselves were Justin Cahill, chair of emergency medicine at Bridgeport Hospital for Yale New Haven; Mark Marto (listed as a Department of Public Health director in the transcript); Kathleen Chapman of the Connecticut Psychological Association; Laura Lucarelli, an APRN at Middlesex Hospital; Lindsay Ellis, an OB-GYN in Norwich; Ariadna Frey, reproductive psychiatrist and associate professor at Yale; and others. A participant identified as Connie said she represents the Office of Early Childhood home visiting program. A staff member identified as Shana (transcribed with varying surnames in the record) was welcomed as a nurse consultant who joined the Department of Public Health in April 2024 and who provides support to nurse abstractors and serves as co-chair of the Infant Mortality Review Committee.

The chair asked the committee to approve the minutes from the October meeting. The transcript records a motion and a second but does not include a recorded vote or a tally: "Motion," and "I second motion," were noted on the record without a subsequent vote notation. Budris then opened the public comment period and said the committee would not be entering into a dialogue; no public commenters spoke.

Budris moved that the committee enter an executive session "to review confidential maternal death summaries," and the motion was seconded. The committee then left the public meeting link and entered an executive session; the transcript records participants confirming who had joined the closed session or remained on the public link. Because the review involved confidential case summaries, no case details were discussed on the public record.

After the closed-session sequence, the committee returned briefly to the public link and a motion and second to adjourn were recorded. The chair closed the meeting.

Next steps and any follow-up assignments or findings arising from the executive session were not disclosed in the public transcript.