Two UPMC doctors were among a group of healthcare experts to testify at a state hearing on pregnancy and COVID-19 Wednesday.
The Pennsylvania Senate and House Democratic Policy Committees held the hearing at the request of the PA Women's Health Caucus chairs.
Topics ranged from pre-natal, labor and delivery care to vaccine safety and racial disparities in the pandemic.
UPMC fetal medicine specialist Dr. Hyagriv Simhan advocated for expanded telehealth access for all communities.
"We should eliminate barriers to and optimize provision of telehealth and remote monitoring services, expand broadband to all Pennsylvanians and extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum moms from 60 days to one year," he said.
Statistics show pregnant people are more likely to suffer negative outcomes from COVID-19, like hospitalizations and being put on a ventilator.
According to the CDC, the virus is also more prevalent in racial and ethnic minority communities. Those communities also see disproportionately higher maternal mortality rates.
Simhan believes expanded access to telehealth can help reduce racial disparities in COVID-19 prevalence.
"Black women having more than twice the rate of pre-term birth than white women, Black women being more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications and have major morbidities related to pregnancy-associated complications is a crisis in the Commonwealth in our country," said Simhan. "Approaches like I've talked about today are a part of, not all of it, but a part of the solutions to ensuring access and reducing those disparities."
Governor Tom Wolf signed multiple bills expanding broadband access in rural communities late last year.
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital President Dr. Richard Beigi also testified at Wednesday's hearing.
Focusing on the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnant and breastfeeding people, Beigi highlighted the exclusion of pregnant people in vaccine trials, including trials for the COVID-19 vaccine.
"A group of pregnant women could have been included earlier in the process to help gain a better comfort level and more robust data," he said, "I would propose that even a couple hundred pregnant volunteers could have done wonders to reassure the public."
Though data is limited, the CDC says pregnant people can choose if they receive the vaccine after a recommended talk with their doctor.
Beigi placed confidence in the data available so far regarding pregnant people and the vaccine.
"We don't have any compelling reasons to believe COVID-19 vaccines will be harmful to you or your unborn baby," he said.
The CDC says studies are planned on the vaccine in pregnant people.
