The Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy at Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Annals of Health Law and Life Sciences invite original submissions for presentations at our 19th Annual Health Law Symposium: Confronting the Maternal Health Crisis: Access, Equity and Reform. The Symposium will take place at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law on Friday, October 24, 2025 beginning at 9:30am.
This year’s Symposium will explore maternal health care, which continues to be an area of low access and high mortality. Speakers will discuss the gaps in maternal health care infrastructure and expose ways in which care deserts can be eliminated. Additionally, speakers will examine the impact of Medicaid on maternal care, including primary, preventative and postpartum care. The Symposium will highlight the need for change to expand access to quality maternal health care and end the Maternal Health Crisis. The Symposium will touch upon a wide variety of areas responsive to this overall theme.
Accordingly, we invite submissions relating to maternal health care and in turn, the challenges to maternal health access and equity, including but not limited to:
- The impact of hospital closures and maternal care deserts: Topics may include maternal care deserts caused by hospital funding decisions, state and federal regulatory barriers, OB/GYN workforce issues, and certificate of need laws that impact hospital closures or expansions.
- Medicaid’s impact on maternal health: Topics may include the licensure and reimbursement of midwives, doulas, and home birth medical assistants, and expansion of postpartum coverage as compared to other nations with universal health care and coverage barriers to primary, preventative, and postpartum care.
- Racial, ethnic, or geographical disparities in maternal health outcomes: Topics may include the impact of social determinants of health in maternal mortality rates, racial and ethnic inequities in access to maternal and postpartum care, and community-based care models that would affect geographical areas of health care need.
- Utilization of review committees and data tracking: Topics may include maternal mortality review committees and their role in expanding care to maternal women, state and federal efforts to improve transparency for maternal health outcomes, and the CDC and HHS’s efforts to track maternal health morbidity rates.
Submission Information: We seek speakers interested in submitting symposium-length articles for publication in the Annals of Health Law and Life Sciences Journal (articles will be due by January 5, 2026). To be considered, please send an abstract of no more than 1000 words to health-law@luc.edu by June 16, 2025. Applicants for participation in the Symposium will be notified of decisions no later than July 14, 2025.
- Covered expenses: Hotel, travel, ground transportation, three provided meals.
- Questions: E-mail questions to health-law@luc.edu.
