{"id":351776,"date":"2026-06-08T16:54:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T16:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/351776\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T16:54:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T16:54:08","slug":"can-technology-help-save-mothers-lives-sacramento-health-systems-are-betting-on-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/351776\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Technology Help Save Mothers’ Lives? Sacramento Health Systems Are Betting on It"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

This story is part of our June 2026 issue. To read the print version, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n


\n
\n
\nTen years ago, Melissa Hanna was celebrating her
\n birthday with family at Din Tai Fung in L.A. when her mother\u2019s
\n phone wouldn\u2019t stop ringing.\n<\/p>\n

\n All Hanna wanted was an hour \u2014 just one uninterrupted hour to
\n celebrate. Her mother, Linda, put the phone on silent. It kept
\n buzzing on the table.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cMom, really?\u201d Hanna said.\n<\/p>\n

\n But this was typical. Linda had spent four decades as an
\n obstetrician nurse and board-certified lactation consultant
\n before opening her own private practice. The calls came from
\n everywhere: physicians looking for guidance, mothers struggling
\n to breastfeed, parents worried something was wrong. And she was
\n in the middle of it all, the one who people called when they
\n didn\u2019t know where else to go for help.\n<\/p>\n

\n The phone wouldn\u2019t stop ringing because it couldn\u2019t.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI got a different sense of what was really happening in her
\n world,\u201d Hanna says. \u201cShe would tell these stories and be
\n frustrated there weren\u2019t better ways to communicate. All these
\n folks were supposed to be connected, but didn\u2019t have the
\n processes, systems or technology in place.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n For pregnant women and new mothers, those communication gaps can
\n become life-threatening. The U.S. has the highest maternal
\n mortality rate among high-income countries, according to data
\n published by The Commonwealth Fund. CDC analyses show that most
\n pregnancy-related deaths happen after delivery, when support
\n usually drops off. The maternal health crisis is especially hard
\n on Black and Indigenous women, who are about three times more
\n likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white mothers.
\n More than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable,
\n the CDC reports.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Mahmee CEO and co-founder Melissa Hanna speaks at Prego Expo, a
\n convention for maternal health services. (Photo courtesy of
\n Mahmee)\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n The Sacramento region is feeling the pressure with birth centers
\n closing and fewer physicians to go around. In the past decade,
\n CBS Sacramento reports that more than 50 labor and delivery wards
\n have closed at California hospitals, and 12 counties now lack any
\n hospitals with labor and delivery services. But as demand strains
\n hospitals and resources, health systems in the region are
\n responding with remote tools and wraparound services to create a
\n safer, more integrated maternity journey.\n<\/p>\n

In the company of supporters<\/p>\n

\n Growing up around healthcare, Hanna realized mothers needed more
\n than traditional systems could provide. In 2016, she launched
\n Mahmee, a maternal health platform for wraparound care that
\n includes doulas, lactation consultants, nurses, mental health
\n providers and care coordinators for mothers to have support
\n before and long after delivery.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThe mission matters,\u201d Hanna says. \u201cIt has such an immediate
\n impact on people\u2019s lives.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n One of the biggest issues in maternal health is the delicate
\n window after delivery. Many patients don\u2019t come in for a standard
\n check-up until six weeks postpartum. But a lot could go wrong in
\n that time. Mahmee aims to fill this gap by offering breastfeeding
\n support, postpartum monitoring and mental health services without
\n strict visit limits. The company also employs doulas, non-medical
\n workers who provide emotional and physical support during
\n childbirth, as salaried workers with benefits, which is unusual
\n in a field dominated by contract labor.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Allison Formoso holds her daughter Avery. Formoso says she found
\n support through Mahmee both before and after Avery\u2019s birth.
\n (Photo by Melissa Strong)\n<\/p>\n

Allison Formoso, who lives in Rancho
\n Cordova, didn\u2019t know much about doulas. She thought they were
\n expensive. Late in her pregnancy, she learned her insurance
\n included coverage for doulas, specifically with Mahmee, and
\n connected with one. She says her doula, Corena, gave her
\n resources, discussed plans and informed her of birth choices she
\n didn\u2019t know about. Along with her husband, mother and friends,
\n Corena made her feel supported during the birth and the
\n postpartum transition: They were continuously checking in, making
\n her food, helping around the house, helping with her newborn
\n daughter.\n<\/p>\n

\n But Formoso began experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety
\n after the baby was born. And this made her feel guilty because
\n she had such a solid support system. It was her first birth
\n experience and she had no idea how much her life would shift.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cMy entire adulthood has been focused on furthering my career and
\n in an instant, everything changed,\u201d Formoso says. \u201cThis tiny
\n little human just shifted my mindset and goals that I have had
\n for decades.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n As her daughter became \u201cincreasingly more fussy for no apparent
\n reason,\u201d Formoso says, she felt alone and completely lost on what
\n to do. After receiving her responses from a mental health
\n check-in, Mahmee linked her with a mental health and wellness
\n coach and referred her to therapists specializing in postpartum
\n health.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI wish that this was discussed more, as it was extremely
\n isolating,\u201d Formoso says.\n<\/p>\n

It\u2019s complicated<\/p>\n

\n Postpartum complications can show up through various warning
\n signs, such as chest pain, trouble breathing, seizures or
\n thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. (Seek emergency
\n medical care immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.
\n Early treatment can be lifesaving.)\n<\/p>\n

\n Dr. Jennifer Overbey, an OB-GYN at Dignity Health\u2019s Mercy Medical
\n Group, says many postpartum mothers dismiss getting help because
\n they\u2019re exhausted, overwhelmed and focused on caring for their
\n newborns.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cYou\u2019re tired, you\u2019re not sure if these symptoms are severe
\n enough to go in,\u201d Overbey says. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to leave your
\n baby to go to the hospital.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n That hesitation can be dangerous, even deadly.\n<\/p>\n

\n Overbey recalls one physician who had recently given birth and
\n had a severe headache. She thought it would go away. By the time
\n she came into the hospital, she had suffered a minor stroke and
\n lost part of her peripheral vision.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThese types of things happen all the time with mothers,\u201d Overbey
\n says. \u201cWe as women are caregivers, so it\u2019s easy for us to talk
\n ourselves out of going in to get care sometimes.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Remote check-ups<\/p>\n

\n To keep track of vitals before they become emergencies, hospitals
\n across the Sacramento region have turned to remote monitoring
\n programs.\n<\/p>\n

\n Mercy Medical Group sends patients home with blood pressure cuffs
\n connected to an app. Nurses monitor readings and ask patients
\n about symptoms like headaches, blurry vision and abdominal pain.
\n If numbers spike too high, patients are directed to the emergency
\n department.\n<\/p>\n

\n Last fall, Sutter Medical Group launched its Sutter Sync pilot
\n program, which also uses blood pressure cuffs and a weight
\n monitoring device synced to patients\u2019 medical records. Video
\n visits allow mothers to get support from home, which physicians
\n say is especially helpful for postpartum mental healthcare.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Mahmee\u2019s clinic in Fresno is outfitted with cozy chairs and other
\n accoutrements meant to make mothers comfortable. (Photo courtesy
\n of Mahmee)\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cPatients find it\u2019s hard to get into the office with small
\n children,\u201d says Dr. Carrie Yiakis, an OB-GYN with Sutter Medical
\n Group and one of the physician leaders for Sutter Health\u2019s
\n Women\u2019s Service Line. \u201cWe know depression is such a significant
\n risk, impacting so many women. A lot of people feel comfortable
\n communicating from home, particularly those who just had a
\n procedure or had a child.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n According to Dr. Jeffrey Hastings, an OB-GYN based at Kaiser
\n Permanente in Folsom, maternal health problems begin before the
\n delivery room. Conditions like hypertension and diabetes can
\n increase risks during pregnancy and postpartum recovery.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWhat Kaiser is famous for and does great is preventative care,\u201d
\n Hastings says. \u201cThe entire system is set up to help patients be
\n healthy at baseline.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Kaiser has also started using a device designed to treat
\n postpartum hemorrhage, one of the leading causes of maternal
\n complications and death. This tool uses suction to help the
\n uterus contract more quickly and reduce severe bleeding.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt saves lives,\u201d Hastings says. \u201cSaves people from blood
\n transfusions.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The doctor is out<\/p>\n

\n Even as technology improves, health systems still need physicians
\n to deliver babies. But the shortage of OB-GYNs has been getting
\n worse, with projections showing nearly all states, including
\n California, may not have enough by 2035.\n<\/p>\n

\n This shortage will be most severe in so-called \u201cmaternity
\n deserts,\u201d rural pockets with little or no obstetric care.
\n Overbey, who has been with Mercy Medical for about 18 years, says
\n the biggest maternal health challenge is access.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been recruiting for the same positions with much higher
\n pay and a really nice bonus package and it\u2019s still very dry,\u201d she
\n says.\n<\/p>\n

\n She attributes the shortage to several overlapping factors. Many
\n younger physicians are opting out of traditional around-the-clock
\n obstetrics work to choose hospitalist positions. They want more
\n predictable schedules and fewer demands outside the hospital.
\n They want earlier retirements and a better work-life balance than
\n previous generations.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe\u2019re not working like the guys of yesteryear,\u201d Overbey says.
\n \u201cWe just had two OBs that retired. One was 83 and the other was
\n 77. And women are saying, \u2018We\u2019re not working like that.\u2019 \u2026 I\u2019m
\n not missing my son\u2019s basketball game.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Supporting Black mothers<\/p>\n

\n On one hand, this shift is helping doctors avoid burnout, but on
\n the other, it also means fewer physicians available for office
\n visits, surgeries and long-term patient care. Absences make a big
\n difference in maternal healthcare, especially for Black mothers,
\n who already struggle to feel heard and seen.\n<\/p>\n

\n Healthcare providers across the region agree that representation
\n matters for addressing such disparities. Overbey says Mercy
\n Medical Group has focused on building diverse care teams and
\n expanding remote monitoring at no cost to patients. Methodist
\n Hospital in Sacramento also created an OB emergency department
\n where every patient is evaluated by a board-certified OB-GYN
\n before discharge.\n<\/p>\n

\n Hastings says Kaiser has focused on reducing anemia and
\n hypertension during pregnancy because both conditions contribute
\n to worse outcomes and have historically affected Black patients
\n at higher rates.\n<\/p>\n

\n The health system has also expanded doula access and participated
\n in statewide maternal health collaboratives for reducing
\n unnecessary C-sections and improving birth equity. Hastings also
\n notes Kaiser is developing a \u201cbias impact response team\u201d in the
\n Sacramento and Roseville region.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThere is new tech in medicine, but the most important thing is
\n the people,\u201d he says. \u201cHaving a nurse with you the entire time,
\n helping guide the experience, is so important and helpful.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Different lanes<\/p>\n

\n Ten years ago, while in graduate school, Hanna had moved back
\n home and spent many nights listening to her mother\u2019s nursing
\n stories.\n<\/p>\n

\n By then, Linda had left the traditional hospital system to
\n deliver home-based care out of her customized 30-foot Winnebago,
\n converted into a mobile maternal health office by the crew from
\n Pimp My Ride. Inside was a space for lactation support, nursing
\n bras and breast pump rentals. She used to drive from one side of
\n L.A. to the other delivering services, Hanna says.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n The Mahmee team at work. (Photo courtesy of Mahmee)\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n Before launching Mahmee, Hanna received a warning from Linda
\n about the world she\u2019d be stepping into: \u201c\u2018There\u2019s opportunity
\n here, but you\u2019re going to need to convince a lot of people to
\n care about this cause.\u2019\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n But Hanna was committed, on a mission to \u201cmake the U.S. the best
\n place in the world to give birth,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

\n Despite this venture-backed startup life being unfamiliar
\n territory, Linda came aboard as one of the co-founders, merging
\n decades of clinical experience with her daughter\u2019s technical
\n savvy.\n<\/p>\n

\n So what\u2019s it like for Hanna working with her mother?\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI always ask: \u2018What would it be like working with your mother?\u2019\u201d
\n She laughs. \u201cWe have very different skill sets. She specializes
\n in healthcare, I\u2019m business and policy. We had to learn to
\n respect each other\u2019s lanes. That\u2019s important. You don\u2019t want the
\n business of healthcare to interfere with the care of healthcare.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2013\n<\/p>\n

\n Stay up to date on business in the Capital Region:
\n Subscribe to the Comstock\u2019s newsletter
\n today.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This story is part of our June 2026 issue. To read the print version, click here. …\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":351777,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-351776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=351776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351776\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/351777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=351776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=351776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=351776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}