Public Health outlines expansion of Black Infant Health and perinatal equity efforts
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Summary
Public Health presented the Black Infant Health expansion and Perinatal Equity Initiative to the committee, noting persistently higher infant mortality among Black infants in Santa Clara County; staff said they are using doula support, mental‑health services and data analysis to identify patterns and system changes, and the committee received the report.
Public Health staff briefed the Santa Clara County Health & Hospital Committee on Tuesday about expansion and evaluation of the Black Infant Health program and the Perinatal Equity Initiative, saying the programs are focused on addressing striking racial disparities in infant outcomes.
Health officer Sarah Redmond introduced program leaders and said Black infants in the county are "twice as likely to die in infancy as infants of other races," underscoring why the team is expanding services that include doulas, enhanced mental‑health supports and a program called The Role of Men to support fathers. Program leads described efforts to collect and analyze detailed clinical data so the county can identify system and structural drivers of adverse outcomes.
Public commenters urged continuity in leadership and preservation of institutional knowledge: several speakers asked that Dr. Beverly White Macklin remain in her role through a planned December 2026 retirement to ease transition and preserve program partnerships. Program staff said they are working with community partners and the state's data requirements to measure program success and identify patterns by reviewing chart data and client information.
The committee received the report. Supervisors thanked staff for targeted equity work and asked for continued data tracking to shape future system changes.
What happens next: Public Health will continue data analysis with its science branch, track daily client data per state reporting requirements, and return to the committee as program work and budget priorities develop.