Nationwide — Kimberly Seals Allers, founder of Irth, a Black-led maternity care rating and review platform and app, is raising serious concerns about the safety of New York City hospitals after a new report found that 85% of the city’s assessed birthing hospitals had patterns of reported concerns warranting immediate attention. Based on nearly 2,000 reviews from Black and Brown birthing families and NYC birthworkers, the report found that 17 of the 20 NYC birthing hospitals assessed had patterns of concerning experiences serious or widespread enough to warrant immediate attention in at least one of four safety domains. Irth (as in Birth, but without the B for bias) is a nonprofit doctor and hospital rating and review platform that helps families make informed decisions while generating community-powered data for hospital accountability.
The report, part of New York City’s first community-powered Birthing Hospital Safety Assessment and Birth Experience Report, also revealed that approximately three in five NYC reviews on the Irth app described at least one concerning attitude or behavior experienced or observed during maternity care. These included dismissed pain, ignored requests for help, condescending treatment, unwanted medical interventions, and experiences of coercion. Some birthing parents reported being scolded by nurses or having their pain levels questioned by medical staff. The findings highlight troubling patterns in maternity care experiences among Black and Brown mothers and birthing people and raise urgent questions about hospital accountability and patient safety.
“If we saw three out of every five pregnant people or new mothers being pushed or shoved on a New York City street, there would be outrage. Yet about three in five NYC reviews on the Irth app describe troubling treatment during maternity care—from dismissed pain to ignored requests for help. Why aren’t we treating that type of harm with the same urgency?” said Kimberly.
To bring greater national attention to these findings, actress, singer and Broadway star Naturi Naughton-Lewis, currently appearing in The Great Gatsby, is joining Irth as its celebrity ambassador to help launch the “I Am One of the 3 in 5” national campaign that calls for safer and more respectful maternity care. The campaign was officially introduced on Friday, October 30, 2026, during the official unveiling of the report at Civic Hall in New York City. The event will also feature internationally renowned supermodel, filmmaker, and Every Mother Counts founder Christy Turlington Burns, alongside physician and bestselling author Dr. Uche Blackstock, for a panel discussion examining the report’s findings and the need for meaningful improvements in maternity care.
As its first major action, the “I Am One of the 3 in 5” campaign will launch an open letter calling on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to take concrete and immediate steps to address the city’s maternal care crisis. The letter urges city leadership to strengthen hospital accountability, incorporate community-reported experiences into quality improvement efforts, and ensure that Black and Brown mothers and birthing people receive safe, respectful treatment. New Yorkers are encouraged to sign the letter, while supporters nationwide can participate by selecting “I Stand With NYC Mamas.” Mothers and birthing people across the country are also invited to share campaign graphics, tell their personal stories if they choose, and submit reviews on Irth to help drive improvements in maternity care.
Supporters can sign the open letter and join the movement here:
irthapp.com/3in5
Access the full hospital safety report here:
irthapp.com/nycbirthreport/
About
Led by Kimberly Seals Allers, Irth is the signature technology initiative of Narrative Nation, a New York City-based, Black-led technology and media nonprofit advancing birth equity through community-powered technology and storytelling.
For media inquiries, contact Danielle Bayard Jackson of TELL Public Relations at Danielle@TellPublicRelations.com