New York City Health Department Pilots Neighborhood Stress-Free Zone in Brownsville To Improve Maternal Health

Collaboration Will Expand Support For Pregnant And Postpartum New Yorkers

New Report Shows 13.7 Percent Increase in Maternal Deaths in 2022

September 30, 2025 - Today, the New York City Health Department launched the City's first-ever pilot of the Neighborhood Stress-Free Zone (NSFZ) in Brownsville, Brooklyn, to address priorities voiced by pregnant and postpartum New Yorkers and their families and the recommendations of New York City's Maternal Mortality Review Committee. In partnership with Brooklyn Perinatal Network (BPN) and Public Health Solutions (PHS), the pilot will be located in the Health Department's Brownsville Neighborhood Health Action Center's Family Wellness Suite. This initiative expands resources for maternal health education, social needs support, and connections to mental and behavioral health services.

This groundbreaking pilot is a critical part of the Health Department's HealthyNYC initiative, an ambitious plan to increase New Yorkers' life expectancy to 83 years by 2030 and reduce maternal death by10 percent. A new annual report issued today by New York City's Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) demonstrates urgency.

The MMRC report showed that the number of pregnancy-associated deaths in New York City increased 13.7 percent, from 58 deaths in 2021 to 66 deaths in 2022, the highest number of pregnancy-associated deaths since 2016. Black non-Hispanic women and people who gave birth accounted for 42.4 percent of pregnancy-associated deaths compared to 17.5 percent of live births. The leading cause of pregnancy-associated deaths in 2022 was mental health conditions followed by cardiovascular conditions as the second-leading cause.

Neighborhood Stress-Free Zones can improve maternal health by offering stigma-free access to health and social support for pregnant and postpartum people in high-priority neighborhoods, with a focus on chronic conditions, mental health, and substance use disorders.

"Our administration has been laser focused on addressing the historic inequities in maternal health, especially from Black and Brown women," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "Thanks to the Citywide Doula Initiative our administration launched, we have already served over 3,200 mothers - increasing the citywide doula coverage in New York City by 25 percent and going these three years without any maternal deaths for program participants. This pilot is another example of how our administration is delivering for families right in their communities. It's about complementing clinical care with holistic support, including mental health care and vital social services where they can access this support. Every pregnant and postpartum New Yorker deserves dignity and the resources to thrive, and the Neighborhood Stress-Free Zone is an essential component of our HealthyNYC plan to extend life expectancy and build a healthier, fairer city for everyone."

"The opening of this Neighborhood Stress-Free Zone is another step toward achieving our HealthyNYC goal of reducing Black maternal mortality by 10 percent by 2030," said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Suzanne Miles-Gustave. "New and expectant parents need a safe, supportive, and accessible space in their community to connect to resources and networks of care. The NSFZ is just that space and is made possible throughout our partnerships with Brooklyn Perinatal Network and Public Health Solutions. Thank you to our partners and to our Health Department teams helping new and expecting parents at every step of their journey."

"Brownsville, Brooklyn - which has experienced decades of disinvestment, redlining, and unfair barriers to care - has the highest pregnancy-associated mortality rate in New York City," said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. "That's why we are piloting Neighborhood Stress-Free Zones in Brownsville first. Pregnant people and new parents deserve access to the full continuum of care, from mental health support to help meeting the economic demands of parenthood. We cannot let our systems fail Black women, and this is a first step towards a new future for maternal health in our city."

"Brooklyn Perinatal Network, Inc. is always excited about collaborating with the NYC Health Department and has done so since our inception over 35 years ago. We are exceptionally pleased to be able to partner with the Neighborhood Stress-Free Zone at the Health Action Center, where we are co-located with the Health Department," said Ngozi Moses, Executive Director, BPN. "It is vital for our maternal population to have a place to go where we are able to address some of the stresses that they encounter.  The NSFZ is expected to help so many individuals and help reduce some of the barriers that our pregnant and parenting individuals face.  We know that social and health care barriers and other stresses have such a negative impact on birth outcomes.  We look forward to the success of this collaborative partnership."

"Public Health Solutions is committed to working alongside our colleagues at the Health Department and Brooklyn Perinatal Network to fully integrate our WholeYou NYC Social Care Network into the Brownsville Neighborhood Stress-Free Zone," said Rachel Schwartz, Senior Director of Maternal Child Health, Public Health Solutions. "Ensuring pregnant and postpartum Medicaid members have access to food, housing, and transportation resources is critical to reducing stress and improving maternal health and well-being. There are over 36,000 pregnant and postpartum Medicaid members eligible for services in Brooklyn. We have our work cut out for us and need everyone's help to connect families to social care screening and navigation. Working together to leverage these new resources, we can support families to not only survive, but to thrive."

"I was born and raised in Brownsville, a storied neighborhood I am proud to represent in the New York State Assembly," said Assemblywoman Latrice Walker. "I have witnessed firsthand the impact of the historic failure to invest in communities like mine. It manifests itself in higher rates of poverty, crime and - as recent studies have shown - the worst pregnancy-related outcomes in all of New York City. I applaud the New York City Health Department and everyone involved for coming together to help address the maternal health crisis that affects Black women at a significantly disproportionate rate compared to their white counterparts. This is a fight for care. This is a fight for life."

Starting October 1, 2025, Brooklyn Perinatal Network will become a formal partner with the Health Department to provide on-site screenings for health-related social needs and social care services, and facilitate referrals for housing, nutrition, and transportation programs.

The Health Department's Family Wellness Suite services in Brownsville will be expanded to provide perinatal clients access to stress-reduction activities such as perinatal massages and yoga classes. New maternal health-related education programs will be offered to all community members on topics including perinatal mental health, gestational diabetes and hypertension, lactation, and nutrition.

The NSFZ pilot uses place-based approaches to reduce maternal health inequities. The no-cost services in the NSFZ leverage enhanced benefits provided by New York State's Social Care Networks and contracted partners launched by New York's Health Equity Reform 1115 waiver amendment.

The NSFZ is an important step forward as the Health Department advances its broader Maternal Home Collaborative aimed at addressing birth equity through clinical and community care linkages.

For more information, see the Brownsville Neighborhood Health Action Center webpage.

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