Policy Analysis of the 2020–2021 Report on Maternal Mortality in Massachusetts Using the Conceptual Model of Nursing and Health Policy.

The article analyzes the 2024 Massachusetts Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee (MMMRC) report, which offers evidence-based recommendations to address rising maternal mortality in the state, a trend reflective of broader U.S. challenges disproportionately affecting marginalized groups. Using a conceptual model of nursing and health policy, the analysis categorizes the report's recommendations across four levels—individual, community, geopolitical, and global—highlighting their comprehensiveness and alignment with goals of efficacy, equity, accessibility, and social justice. The report emphasizes the critical role of nurses in implementing these recommendations, including respectful maternity care, improved care coordination, and addressing social determinants of health, while identifying gaps such as expanded midwifery access, extended postpartum care, and telehealth integration. The analysis suggests that involving nurses more fully in policy development and practice is essential for effective maternal mortality reduction and that the Massachusetts model may inform strategies in other states.