When the health care system fails women, Kansas City community workers try to bridge the gap

Between 2012 and 2016, 662 babies in the Kansas City metro area died — about 11 every month. Maternal mortality rates are also higher than the national average, but some Kansas City groups are trying to improve both.
Standing outside the Nurture KC office in Westport, Marcela Metcalf is preparing to greet 25 families with newborn babies.

She and fellow Kansas City community health workers have bags of produce and some diapers prepared for each family as part of a temporary collaboration between University Health and Nurture KC, a non-profit focused on improving the health of mothers and children. Metcalf is a lead community health worker for Nurture KC.

As a mother parks her car and approaches the back entrance to the office, carrying her newborn daughter, Metcalf closes the distance to greet the mom and meet the baby. The bag includes mangos, strawberries, and baby carrots this time.