Holliday speaks at national symposium on maternal health

Candice Holliday, J.D., M.D., far left, was
among the expert speakers at the symposium. 

By Casandra Andrews

Candice Holliday, J.D., M.D., an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Whiddon College of Medicine, recently served as a panelist at the Beazley Symposium on Health Care Law and Policy, an event that brings together leading voices in law, medicine, and public health to examine critical issues shaping healthcare policy. 

The 2025 symposium, titled “Confronting the Maternal Health Crisis: Access, Equity and Reform,” was held Oct. 24 at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Presented in conjunction with the Annals of Health Law & Life Sciences, the event focused on the persistent challenges surrounding maternal health in the United States, particularly in underserved and rural communities. 

Holliday was among leading experts who discussed barriers to care, and potential reforms designed to improve outcomes for mothers and infants. Topics also included the role of Medicaid in maternal care, disparities in maternal health outcomes, and the need for stronger systems to provide equitable access to prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care. 

Drawing on her experience in academic medicine and clinical practice at USA Health, she discussed the regulatory framework that allowed hospitals to be inadequately reimbursed for providing care, which has led to closures across Alabama and beyond.  

Holliday, who earned a law degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor before receiving a medical degree from the Whiddon College of Medicine, discussed the unique legal challenges of practicing obstetrics, including medical malpractice risks and the exorbitant cost of medical malpractice insurance.  

Through involvement in national discussions such as the Beazley Symposium, Holliday continues to advance USA Health’s mission of improving health outcomes on the Alabama Gulf Coast and beyond. Her participation reflects the academic health system’s growing engagement in shaping policy conversations that impact the quality and accessibility of care for women and their families.