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Janette Platter is the community chaplain at Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place, a vibrant senior living community just steps from the Country Club Plaza. But in early 2025, she was just another mom seeking the very best care for her child. Fortunately, she knew it wasn’t too far away.

Kirsti Millar, a 35-year-old of Kansas City, was 23 weeks pregnant with her second child in early 2023 when her water suddenly broke. What should have been a season of joy and anticipation became a medical emergency.

To combat rising maternal mortality, researchers at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute and UMKC are leading a first of its kind study to create better care for moms with heart conditions during pregnancy.

The four-year observational study will research U.S. pregnant people with cardiovascular disease to better understand and combat maternal mortality and morbidity.

The new ultrasound probe, which will primarily be used in the hospital's emergency department, provides a detailed view of what's happening in a patient's body in real-time.

In the past, many women born with a heart condition were told they would not be able to birth children safely.