đź’Ś Weekly: U.S. ranks highest in maternal deaths
Among high-income nations
The Female Quotient
March 17, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes
WHAT’S ON DECK
Tell Me More: The richest Black women have infant mortality rates at the same level as the poorest white women
Troublemaker Spotlight: Tara Wolters-Smythe, COO, Off-Piste Fine Arts
Inside Track: Leaders on the move
Dear FQ: A senior leader I admire left abruptly. Now everyone is whispering.
Poll the Pack: You deserve a break
TLDR 🎙️: Listen here
TELL ME MORE
The Black maternal health crisis
On January 1, 2026, Dr. Janell Green Smith, a Black midwife who dedicated her life to maternal health, died from childbirth complications while delivering her first baby. She was just 31 years old.
Dr. Smith had assisted in more than 300 births. She was a fierce advocate for safe, equitable childbirth and Black maternal health. The American College of Nurse-Midwives described her as a “respected midwife, scholar, and advocate whose life and work reflected a deep commitment to evidence-based and equitable care.” Her death is heartbreaking, and it’s not an anomaly. It’s a devastating reminder of the maternal health crisis facing the U.S., especially Black women.
In 2023, the U.S. maternal mortality rate was 18.6 per 100,000 live births. 80% of those deaths were deemed preventable. That alone should stop us in our tracks, especially given that the U.S. is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. In fact, the U.S. has the worst maternal and infant mortality rates of any high‑income nation. Norway, which most closely mirrors the U.S. in per‑capita income, has a rate of 1 per 100,000 live births. This is alarming.
It becomes even more alarming when you look at race. For Black women, the maternal mortality rate jumps to 47.4 per 100,000 live births. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy than white women, and twice as likely to experience severe complications. This holds true regardless of income or education. One study found that the richest Black women have infant mortality rates at about the same level as the poorest white women.
This isn’t a coincidence. It’s the result of structural racism deeply embedded in the U.S. healthcare system. A century ago, The Flexner Report (1910), funded by the American Medical Association, set the foundation for modern medical education, but at a devastating cost. It was overtly biased, led to the closure of all but two Black medical schools, and dismissed the legitimacy of Black doctors. Today, only 5.7% of physicians are Black, a direct legacy of that decision. The erasure continued. For generations, midwives known as “Granny midwives,” Black women who attended half of all births in the U.S., were pushed out by medical institutions. By 1975, only 1% of births involved a midwife.
Trust in the system continued to erode through violations like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which ran from 1932 to 1972, studying Black men with syphilis, but without consent or treatment. That betrayal still echoes today, particularly for Black women who feel dismissed, judged, or outright ignored by medical professionals. That distrust shows up in modern medical care:
30% of Black, Hispanic, and multiracial mothers report being mistreated during childbirth.
Black women are more likely to be given drug tests in hospitals despite being less likely to test positive than white women.
They receive less pain medication, face more caesarean sections, and are too often not believed when they say something is wrong.
These outcomes are deadly. Says OBGYN Dr. Chiamaka Ilonzo, “When communication and trust are lacking, it can result in a breakdown of the patient-provider relationship, contributing to poorer outcomes, including missed diagnoses, inadequate care, or the dismissal of patient concerns.”
Decades of housing regulations and redlining, segregating the Black community from up-and-coming white neighborhoods, left many Black families with limited access to high-quality hospitals. Lack of reliable transportation means they often give birth at under-resourced facilities, where maternal death rates are higher. Also, Black individuals are twice as likely to be uninsured. While 65% of Black mothers rely on Medicaid, that coverage often ends just 60 days after delivery. But 70% of maternal deaths happen after that point, exposing a dangerous gap in the system.
The Black maternal mortality crisis is a national emergency. Dr. Janell Green Smith should still be here, advocating, healing, and delivering the next generation. Her legacy calls us to act. Here are just a few of the critical steps we can take to move forward:
Train culturally competent healthcare professionals who understand systemic inequities.
Recruit and elevate more Black medical providers across specialties.
Implement Telehealth and transportation support to overcome access challenges.
Extend Medicaid postpartum coverage to at least one year nationwide.
Normalize the use of midwives, as recommended by the WHO, especially in underserved communities.
Preparing for a baby should be a joyous and exciting time. The last thing a mother should deal with when creating a new life is fearing for her own. Dr. Janell Green Smith once said of her work, “I wanted to be a part of the solution and step into a role as the provider that would listen to my patients when they said they were in pain. I wanted to be the provider that would answer the questions and that would go above and beyond to allow my patients to feel comfortable in their journey of pregnancy and in labor.”
TROUBLEMAKER SPOTLIGHT
Tara Wolters-Smythe, COO of Off-Piste Fine Arts
Tara Wolters-Smythe is bringing new energy to the art world by making it more accessible, immersive, and connected. As COO of Off-Piste Fine Arts, she draws on two decades of leadership in luxury retail and distribution to reimagine how people discover and experience contemporary art. With galleries across the U.S., Off-Piste showcases work that spans painting, sculpture, photography, and glass; but it’s more than just a place to buy art. Through artist residencies, hospitality collaborations, and curated exhibitions, Off-Piste is turning art collecting into something more dynamic: a way to connect IRL with people, stories, and spaces.
What’s the worst career advice you’ve gotten?
Early in my career, I was a baker’s apprentice, and I hated it. My parents encouraged me to stick it out as it was stable, the pay was good, and it had benefits. But I could not stay in a job that made me miserable.
I moved away and went to business school, and that was probably the best decision that I've ever made. At Capilano University, I studied a little bit of everything. It was a great start for me to dig into what I wanted to do. It made me realize two things: you can reinvent yourself many times in your career, and it's okay to leave and start something completely different.
What’s the best piece of non-obvious career advice you’ve gotten?
Surround yourself with people who care and have the same values.
What was a heartbeat moment for you in your career?
Getting pregnant during one of the busiest times in my career forced me to slow down, get intentional, and lean on the incredible team we’d built. What I didn’t expect was how much that shift would give back. It helped me refocus and show up with more clarity, creativity, and compassion. Motherhood didn’t just change my pace; it transformed how I lead and helped me redefine what success really means.
Who is one person you’d love to give flowers to from your career that influenced your journey? What advice or lesson did you learn from them?
I would like to give flowers to Kyle Nordman. He started as a friend, became a colleague, and turned into a mentor. He guided me with patience and honesty, always treating me as an equal. I gained confidence, started believing in myself, and grew in my career because of his support. He even told me about my current role. At first, I was hesitant, thinking I didn’t have the right background in art. But he saw how my experience in sales and leadership would translate. His encouragement helped me see it too, and it’s why I’m here today.
Where have you caused some good trouble in your career?
I have a healthy amount of skepticism, and I like to question the norm. My operational background comes into play, as I’m always thinking of a more efficient way to go from A to B. I get into trouble with my team because I will look at a procedure, completely rip it apart, and figure out the pain points to see if we can do something more streamlined. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. But I never regret doing it, as it gives me a better understanding of how things work.
Want to nominate a “Troublemaker” you admire? You can do so here.
INSIDE TRACK
Leaders on the move
Jill Estorino is the new President of Disneyland Resort. Previously leading Disney Parks International and bringing Disney’s magic to life from Paris to Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo, Jill spent her career creating experiences where imagination, storytelling, and innovation come together for people around the world.
Tasia Filippatos is now the President of Disney Parks International. Most recently President of Disney Consumer Products, Tasia led Disney’s global merchandise and licensing business across 180+ countries and more than 100 product categories, forging partnerships across fashion, luxury, technology, gaming, and publishing.
Susan Credle has been named the 2026 Lion of St. Mark honoree at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. An advertising legend, Susan’s work, from reimagining the iconic M&M’s characters to bringing storytelling and imagination to McDonald’s Happy Meals, has shaped culture and the creative industry for decades.
Molly Jolly has been named president of the Los Angeles Angels, making her the first woman in franchise history to hold the role. After 26 years with the organization, and the current senior vice president of finance and administration, she steps into one of the most influential leadership positions in Major League Baseball, joining a small but growing group of women leading MLB teams.
Katie Klumper has stepped into her new role as VP of Marketing Operations and Transformation at GEICO. As Founder and CEO of Black Glass, Katie helped CMOs rethink how organizations truly work, while championing the idea that marketing leaders are powerful business builders. Now, she’s bringing that expertise in-house as one of the first hires under CMO Arianna Orpello.
Abby Teisch has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer at Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Over the past two decades, Abby has helped shape the voice and vision of beloved brands, including Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm. As CMO, she will lead enterprise-wide marketing across the portfolio.
DEAR FQ
Your burning career questions answered
Erika Tascon of The Female Quotient weighs in:
When a respected leader exits abruptly, the silence can be louder than any announcement. And if that person was close to you or directly impacted your role or growth, it can genuinely hurt. Losing a mentor or support system at work brings real uncertainty and a loss of direction.
Right now, that uncertainty isn’t just about one departure; it’s part of a broader backdrop of job insecurity. Nearly half of workers (about 46%) say they’re worried about layoffs in the next year, and job confidence is at record lows.
It’s natural to be curious and get pulled into speculation. However, gossip rarely brings clarity. What it does bring is distraction and increased anxiety.
If the departure directly affects your work, it’s fair to talk with your manager or a senior leader about what changes and what doesn’t. But if it doesn’t affect you, sometimes the best move is to stay focused. The reality is that so much happens behind closed doors, most of it out of your control. What is in your control is how you show up and where you put your energy.
P.S. Got a burning career question? Serve it up here to Dear FQ to score advice from a powerhouse leader in our network.
POLL THE PACK
Pause. Breathe. Return Stronger.
It’s happens to all of us. We hit that point where the to-do list feels endless and our brain refuses to cooperate. So how do you get the motivation when you’re running on empty? Take a break.
When you are engaging in work, your brain becomes depleted of energy. And science backs it up. According to Professor William S. Helton, when you’re deep in focused work, your brain literally burns through its “mental fuel.” No wonder you feel drained.
A real break, not just a scroll through your social feeds, can reset your focus, lower stress, boost mood, and even improve memory. It’s not slacking; it's a smart strategy. Burnout builds over time. So step away, reset, and come back with the clarity and energy that both you and your work deserve.
To honoring and fighting for mothers,
Xo,
The FQ
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