File #: T2025-4138    Version: * Name: Create a new and separate occurrence code for maternal mortality, and standardize the definition of events reportable to the New York Patient Occurrence and Reporting Tracking System.
Type: Resolution Status: Introduced
Committee: Committee on Hospitals
On agenda: 10/9/2025
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution calling on the New York State Department of Health to create a new and separate occurrence code for maternal mortality, and standardize the definition of events reportable to the New York Patient Occurrence and Reporting Tracking System
Sponsors: Chi A. Ossé
Council Member Sponsors: 1
Attachments: 1. Res. No.

Res. No.

 

Resolution calling on the New York State Department of Health to create a new and separate occurrence code for maternal mortality, and standardize the definition of events reportable to the New York Patient Occurrence and Reporting Tracking System

 

By Council Member Ossé

 

Whereas, The New York Patient Occurrence and Reporting Tracking System (NYPORTS) is a statewide, mandatory reporting system that collects information from hospitals and diagnostic and treatment centers concerning adverse events defined as unintended, adverse, and undesirable developments in a patient’s condition; and

Whereas, While the NYPORTS system has the advantage of being used universally by

Hospitals in New York, according to the Department of Health, some hospitals report occurrences of adverse medical events at rates up to 20 times greater than rates at comparable hospitals; and

                     Whereas, For example, one small New York City hospital reported 111.3 occurrences per 10,000 patient discharges, while another comparably sized hospital in the same borough reported only 6.0 occurrences per 10,000 discharges; and

Whereas, According to a policy report from the Office of the New York City Comptroller, there is great deal of confusion and inconsistency around reporting of maternal deaths specifically, and as a result, current NYPORTS reporting is failing to identify a significant number of cases; and

Whereas, In total there are 31 reportable occurrences in NYPORTS, and maternal death is one of the five sub-categories under one of these occurrence codes, but the language around classification is not considered by all to be clear; and

Whereas, For instance, the classification of an “unexpected” versus an “expected” maternal death needs to be further defined as this often causes confusion among practitioners according to the New York Academy of Medicine; and

Whereas, Furthermore, currently two definitions of the timeframe for what events qualify as a maternal death are in use in New York State creating a potential for additional confusion; and

Whereas, The New York State Department of Health and the New York City Maternal Mortality Review Committee (M3RC) classify a pregnancy-associated death as the death of a birthing person from any cause during pregnancy or within one year from the end of pregnancy, regardless of the outcome of the pregnancy; and

Whereas, The New York State Maternal Mortality Review Board (MMRB), however, aligns with the World Health Organization’s maternal death definition which defines it as the death of a birthing person while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy; and

Whereas, The difference between 42 days and one year is significant, and leads to a very different understanding of maternal mortality in New York City across maternal health-focused entities; and

Whereas, The M3RC reported that in New York City, between 2016-2020, the overall maternal mortality ratio in New York City was 20.3 deaths per 100,000 live births while the MMRB reported that between 2018-2020, the maternal mortality ratio for New York City was 18.9 deaths per 100,000 live births; and

Whereas, Standardized state-wide mandatory reporting is viewed as necessary to increase the number of cases captured and create the widest base of data for improving systems and preventing maternal deaths and disability; and

Whereas, A dedicated code for maternal death could enhance the accuracy and completeness of data collection for maternal deaths, leading to a clearer understanding of causes and contributing factors; and

Whereas, Working with the M3RC, MMRB, and other maternal-health focused entities to standardize the definition of events reportable in NYPORTS will broadly improve the quality of care; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York State Department of Health to create a new and separate occurrence code for maternal mortality, and, to standardize the definition of events reportable to the New York Patient Occurrence and Reporting Tracking System.

KS

LS 20253

8/26./2025 4:45 PM