2023 New Mexico Statutes › Chapter 24 - Health and Safety › Article 32 - Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Prevention › Section 24-32-3 - Maternal mortality review committee; creation; membership; duties.

A. The "maternal mortality review committee" is created in the department. The committee shall be composed of:
(1) the chief medical officer of the department or another representative of the department appointed by the secretary of health, who shall be the ex-officio administrative co-chair;
(2) a clinical co-chair, who shall be nominated by the committee and approved by the department; and
(3) a maximum of thirty additional members, who shall be appointed by the administrative co-chair; provided that four of those members shall include:
(a) two members nominated by the secretary of Indian affairs; and
(b) two members nominated by the director of the office on African American affairs.
B. Each member of the committee, except the administrative co-chair, shall serve a term of three years, with no consecutive terms.
C. Pursuant to requirements established by the department, each member of the committee shall receive training on trauma and the impacts of trauma, including secondary trauma, trauma of racism and trauma of maternal mortality and morbidity.
D. In appointing members of the committee, the administrative co-chair shall include members that work in and represent communities that are most impacted per the state maternal mortality ratio so that the composition of the committee reflects:
(1) the racial, ethnic and linguistic diversity of the state;
(2) the differing geographic regions within the state, including rural and urban areas; and
(3) communities that are most impacted by pregnancy-related deaths, severe maternal morbidity and a lack of access to relevant perinatal and intrapartum care services.
E. The committee shall meet at the call of the co-chairs. A majority of committee members appointed constitutes a quorum for the transaction of any business. The affirmative vote of at least a majority of a quorum present and approval by the secretary of health or the secretary's designee shall be necessary for any action to be taken by the committee. No vacancy in the membership of the committee shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all rights and perform all duties of the committee.
F. Operational staff and qualified guests may participate in committee deliberations in an advisory capacity as directed by the co-chairs of the committee. Operational staff and qualified guest presence at a committee meeting shall not convey committee membership.
G. A committee member required to travel in excess of fifty miles to attend a meeting of the committee may, with the approval of the department, receive per diem and mileage for attendance at that meeting pursuant to the Per Diem and Mileage Act [10-8-1 to 10-8-8 NMSA 1978]. A committee member forsaking critical income to attend a committee meeting may, with the approval of the department and pursuant to rules established by the department, be additionally reimbursed for loss of that income in an amount not to exceed three hundred dollars ($300) per meeting.
H. The committee shall:
(1) review each incident of maternal mortality using a de-identified case summary prepared by operational staff;
(2) review aggregate data relating to severe maternal morbidity;
(3) outline trends and patterns and provide recommendations relating to maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the state;
(4) compile reports using aggregate data on an annual basis in an effort to further study the causes and problems associated with maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity and distribute these reports to the legislature, government agencies, including the Indian Affairs department and the office on African American affairs, health care providers, community-based organizations working in the interest of maternal and child health and others as necessary to reduce the maternal mortality rate in the state. These reports shall include recommendations to assist health care providers and the health care system in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity;
(5) serve as a link with maternal mortality and morbidity review teams nationwide and participate in national maternal mortality and morbidity review team activities; and
(6) perform any other functions as resources allow to enhance efforts to reduce and prevent maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the state.
I. The co-chairs of the committee may designate an executive committee to conduct business as necessary. The executive committee shall:
(1) consist of the co-chairs of the committee and any other committee members or operational staff that the co-chairs deem necessary. Operational staff and qualified guests may participate in executive committee deliberations in an advisory capacity as directed by the co-chairs of the committee. Operational staff and qualified guest presence at an executive committee meeting shall not convey committee membership;
(2) meet at the call of the co-chairs;
(3) monitor and support the activities of the full committee and recruit committee members for recommendation to the administrative co-chair; and
(4) make final decisions regarding:
(a) committee operations and rules;
(b) data analysis, data dissemination and evaluation based on findings and recommendations from the full committee; and
(c) any other issues within the scope of decisions that may be made by the committee pursuant to the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Prevention Act that the full committee or department deems necessary.
History:
Laws 2019, ch. 41, § 3; 2021, ch. 40, § 3.
ANNOTATIONS
The 2021 amendment,
effective June 18, 2021, changed the name of the "maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity review committee" to the "maternal mortality review committee", revised the composition of the committee, revised certain powers, duties and privileges of the committee, and clarified the types of cases reviewed by the committee; in the section heading, deleted "and severe maternal morbidity" and added "review"; in Subsection A, after "mortality", deleted "and severe maternal morbidity", after "composed of", deleted "a maximum of twenty-five members that the chief medical officer shall appoint to serve three-year terms", and added Paragraphs A(1) through A(3); added a new Subsection B, and redesignated former Subsection B as Subsection E; in Subsection D, deleted "chief medical officer shall appoint members from geographic areas throughout the state with knowledge of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, including representatives of hospitals and other birthing facilities; obstetrical providers; nursing providers; the office of the state medical investigator; the department; representatives of an association of perinatal health care providers that work in a perinatal health care collaborative; and other professionals that the chief medical officer deems appropriate." and added "administrative co-chair shall include members that work in and represent communities that are most impacted per the state maternal mortality ratio so that the composition of the committee reflects", and added Paragraphs D(1) through D(3); in Subsection E, deleted "Committee members shall serve terms of three years; provided that the initial members' terms shall be staggered in accordance with department rules. The secretary of health shall call the first meeting, at which the committee shall elect a chair. Thereafter", after "call of the", deleted "chair" and added the remainder of the subsection; deleted former Subsection C; added Subsections F and G and redesignated former Subsection D as Subsection H; in Subsection H, Paragraph H(1), after "review each", added "incident of", after "maternal mortality", deleted "and severe maternal morbidity incident in the state related to each maternal mortality", and after "summary", deleted "that the subcommittee provides" and added "prepared by operational staff", in Paragraph H(2), deleted "investigate and", and after "review", deleted "incidents of maternal mortality and" and added "aggregate data relating to", in Paragraph H(3), after "patterns", added "and provide recommendations", in Paragraph H(4), after "aggregate data", deleted "based on the cases that the department identifies for reporting. The committee shall compile these reports", after "government agencies", added "including the Indian Affairs department and the office on African American affairs", after the first occurrence of "health care providers", added "community-based organizations working in the interest of maternal and child health", and after the next occurrence of "health care providers", added "and the health care system"; and added Subsection I.