Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
November 5: Dr. Jasmine Zapata on Combating Black Infant Mortality in Wisconsin - Submitted by Joy Cardin
“What more can I do to combat Black infant mortality in Wisconsin?”
Dr. Jasmine Zapata challenged Rotarians to ask ourselves that question at the beginning and at the end of her recent presentation. It’s a question she faced several times as she made it her professional and personal mission to make a difference on this issue.
While a college student attending Marquette University, she learned that Black babies die at twice the rate of white babies in Wisconsin. This led her to UW-Madison’s Medical School where she studied to become a pediatrician. While a med student, she gave birth, prematurely, to her daughter. This terrified her because Dr. Zapata knew the leading cause of Black infant mortality is complications due to premature birth. She then learned that due to inequities in the health care system, even college educated Black women have more early births compared to white women who have less than a high school education. She also explored how early childhood trauma can hurt maternal health and lead to poorer infant health outcomes. This strengthened her determination to become a doctor and do even more to make sure more Black babies reach their first birthday. By the way, Dr. Zapata’s daughter went home after spending three months in the neonatal intensive care unit and is doing well 15 years later.
Dr. Zapata did not stop at becoming double board-certified physician and public health leader exploring innovative ways to improve birth outcomes. She is also a national speaker and an awarding winning author who is trying to motivate all of us to ask ourselves the question: “How can I combat the Black infant mortality rate in Wisconsin?”
Guest speaker starts at 23:19 minutes.
November 5: Dr. Jasmine Zapata on Combating Black Infant Mortality in Wisconsin - Submitted by Joy Cardin
“What more can I do to combat Black infant mortality in Wisconsin?”
Dr. Jasmine Zapata challenged Rotarians to ask ourselves that question at the beginning and at the end of her recent presentation. It’s a question she faced several times as she made it her professional and personal mission to make a difference on this issue.
While a college student attending Marquette University, she learned that Black babies die at twice the rate of white babies in Wisconsin. This led her to UW-Madison’s Medical School where she studied to become a pediatrician. While a med student, she gave birth, prematurely, to her daughter. This terrified her because Dr. Zapata knew the leading cause of Black infant mortality is complications due to premature birth. She then learned that due to inequities in the health care system, even college educated Black women have more early births compared to white women who have less than a high school education. She also explored how early childhood trauma can hurt maternal health and lead to poorer infant health outcomes. This strengthened her determination to become a doctor and do even more to make sure more Black babies reach their first birthday. By the way, Dr. Zapata’s daughter went home after spending three months in the neonatal intensive care unit and is doing well 15 years later.
Dr. Zapata did not stop at becoming double board-certified physician and public health leader exploring innovative ways to improve birth outcomes. She is also a national speaker and an awarding winning author who is trying to motivate all of us to ask ourselves the question: “How can I combat the Black infant mortality rate in Wisconsin?”
Guest speaker starts at 23:19 minutes.
