By Erin Jester
University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions students Hitika Gandhi, Kiara Shaw and Jha’Lia Wray presented a poster at the 2026 Women Rising in Medicine conference, held at UF in April.
The conference, organized by the UF Undergraduate American Medical Women’s Association, addresses the importance of increasing representation and providing leadership opportunities for women in medicine.
In a literature review titled “Bridging Gaps in Maternal Health: Strategies to Reduce Postpartum Hemorrhage in Black Women,” Gandhi (combined Bachelor of Public Health/Master of Public Health, social and behavioral sciences concentration), Shaw (M.P.H., social and behavioral sciences concentration) and Wray (M.P.H., public health management concentration) explored the clinical and public health strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage among Black women in the United States. The group sought to highlight how targeted strategies can help address care gaps and improve maternal health outcomes.
“Our team was drawn to this topic because postpartum hemorrhage remains a leading and largely preventable cause of maternal mortality, yet continues to disproportionately impact Black women in the United States,” Gandhi said. “Through our research, we aimed to better understand how both clinical and public health strategies can work together to address not only immediate care at the time of delivery, but also the broader social and structural factors that contribute to these disparities.”
Co-authors were public health liaison librarian Courtney Pyche and Lindsey King, Ph.D., a clinical associate professor of health services research, management and policy and director of the Social and Behavioral Sciences program.