Shreveport, LA
We are working together to address the issues furthering health inequities for families in Shreveport.
Our Work Together
Partnering with local government, state leaders, corporate health partners and community-based organizations and stakeholders, our Local Collective Impact Initiative will confront challenges by building solutions to achieve health and racial equity for all moms and babies.
Challenges Facing Local Moms and Babies
Shreveport has been the focal point for economic development and a vibrant crossroads for people and ideas since its founding and continues today to be known as the economic hub for the Ark-La-Tex. As the third most populous city in Louisiana, it is home to nearly 200,000 residents and has about 2,800 live births a year. The city is predominately Black with 1.53 more Black residents than any other racial/ethnic group. The city also faces challenges. Shreveport has a poverty rate of 25.7%, with women (27.5%) and Black (35.6%) residents most impacted. This economic instability correlates with higher rates of food insecurity and housing challenges. Additionally, the city has a high violent crime rate that has now reached an all time high due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing poverty rates. These factors, alongside inadequate access to health care and insurance, help fuel the local maternal and infant health crisis. High rates of preterm birth and infant mortality persist, particularly for communities of color.
PRETERM BIRTH BY RACE/ETHNICITY
Percentage of preterm births by race in Shreveport, 2017- 2019
INFANT MORTALITY RATES BY RACE/ETHNICITY
Infant mortality by race in Shreveport City (2014-2019 data)
Daphne R. Robinson, JD, MPH
Director, Maternal & Child Health Collective Impact
Phone: 318-308-1554
News & Resources
This March of Dimes press release describes support for our Local Collective Impact Initiatives in Shreveport and New Orleans.
Watch or read this interview with the Medical Director of the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative as well as the Louisiana Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review about maternal mortality.
Read this report about racial disparities and birth outcomes resulting from a collaboration between two organizations within Tulane University: The Mary Amelia Douglas-Whited Community Health Education Center (MAC) and Newcomb College Institute (NCI).
GET INVOLVED
Every family can have the best possible start. But today, too many moms and babies are dying or experiencing serious health complications related to childbirth—and far too many are moms and babies of color. Only by working together can we confront inequities and ensure the health and wellbeing of every family.
