Massachusetts Postpartum Commission Installs Springfield Senator as New Co-Chair

BOSTON -- April 2, 2026, Massachusetts postpartum commission names Senator Adam Gomez as new Senate co-chair and resumes work after months-long pause. Senator Liz Miranda stepped down from the co-chair role at the April 2 meeting of the Joint Ellen Story Commission on Postpartum Depression, citing family losses including the death of her brother to suicide and the weight of multiple leadership responsibilities, while Representative Brandy Fluker-Reed remained as House co-chair. Gomez, a Springfield Democrat representing one of five senators of color in the chamber, said he was joining "not to redefine the work, but to support it." Christina Alonso of the Department of Public Health reported that a state perinatal mental health grant drew 35 applicants competing for $220,000, with each applicant potentially needing the full sum, calling the appropriation critically insufficient. Commissioners also raised the announced closure of Methuen's obstetric unit, a January 2027 shift in OB reimbursement structures, and Massachusetts's failure to capture federal matching funds for obstetrics and gynecology residency slots. The commission voted unanimously to establish a biweekly information digest and to pursue a commission letter to the executive branch on the training-slot shortage.