(a) The Secretary may contract with MedChi to administer the Maternal Mortality Review Program. (b) In consultation with the maternal mortality review committee of MedChi, the Secretary shall develop a system to: (1) Identify maternal death cases; (2) Review medical records and other relevant data; (3) Contact family members and other affected or involved persons to collect additional relevant data; (4) Consult with relevant experts to evaluate the records and data collected; (5) Make determinations regarding the preventability of maternal deaths; (6) Develop recommendations for the prevention of maternal deaths; and (7) Disseminate findings and recommendations to policy makers, health care providers, health care facilities, and the general public. (c) On the approval of the Secretary and with a signed data use agreement, the Department may release de-identified data and findings to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local maternal mortality review teams, and other entities at the discretion of the Secretary. (d) In accordance with § 4-221 of this article and notwithstanding § 4-224 of this article, the Secretary shall provide the Program with: (1) Information on maternal death cases when the records become available, including a copy of the death certificate; and (2) Medical information from the birth or fetal death record for any pregnancy that occurred within 1 year before the death of the woman, excluding Social Security numbers, addresses, and names of the infants. (e) On the request of the Secretary, the Program shall be provided access, to the extent allowed by law, to all information and records maintained by a State or local government agency, law enforcement investigative information, medical examiner investigative information, parole and probation information and records, and information and records of a social services agency that provided services to a woman whose death is being reviewed by the Program. (f) The Maternal Mortality Review Program, in consultation with the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, shall make recommendations to reduce any disparities in the maternal mortality rate including recommendations related to social determinants of health.
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