Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that a review board assessing maternal deaths for women who die in childbirth was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Aug. 1. “New York has made significant progress ensuring every woman in the state has equal access to high quality healthcare before, during and after pregnancy,” Cuomo said in a statement. “Racial disparities in maternal mortality is a national crisis, and with the creation of this expert review board and advisory council, we are tackling the problem head-on to ensure safer, healthier pregnancies for all.” The board will make recommendations after studying maternal deaths in childbirth. In 2010 New York ranked 46th in the nation for maternal mortality, but has since improved to 30th out of 50 states. Two weeks ago Columbia Memorial hospital in Hudson announced that as of Oct. 1, it will no longer be providing childbirth services, sending women to Albany instead. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.