Oklahoma hospitals recognized for efforts to improve outcomes for Oklahoma mothers and babies

Posted on: 10/11/19

Nine Oklahoma hospitals recently received awards for providing excellence in perinatal care from the Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative. The awards were presented at the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Preparing for a Lifetime’s 10th Anniversary Summit held in partnership with the Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (OPQIC) on Sept. 20. Approximately 250 providers and advocates of maternal and infant care came together at the event to acknowledge efforts and celebrate progress toward improving outcomes for Oklahoma’s mothers and babies.

The Preparing for a Lifetime initiative focuses on seven specific areas: preconception and interconception care (being healthy before and between pregnancies), tobacco use prevention, prematurity, maternal mood disorders, breastfeeding, infant safe sleep, and infant injury prevention. OPQIC works with Oklahoma birthing hospitals and providers to improve perinatal care of Oklahoma mothers and newborns through quality care initiatives utilizing education, practice guidelines, tools, and technical assistance.

Hospitals receiving the “Spotlight Hospital Awards” were recognized for participation and sustained improvement in the areas of early elective deliveries (inducing labor and scheduling cesarean births before 39 weeks without a medical reason), education to prevent abusive head trauma (commonly known as shaken baby syndrome), modeling and promoting safe sleep practices, accurate newborn screening, creating an environment that is supportive of best practices in maternity care and breastfeeding, and being prepared for obstetrical emergencies (such as hemorrhage and preeclampsia) through training, guidelines and hospital resources.

Receiving “Spotlight Hospital” awards for 2019 were:
Duncan Regional Hospital
INTEGRIS Canadian Valley Hospital, Yukon
Lakeside Women’s Hospital, Oklahoma City
Saint Francis Hospital, Tulsa
SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Shawnee
St. John Medical Center, Tulsa
St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Enid
Stillwater Medical Center
The Children’s Hospital at OU Medicine, Oklahoma City (received the Spotlight Award and also received special recognition for attaining Spotlight Hospital for all five years that the award has been presented)

Chad Smith, MD, medical director of the Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative, congratulated the hospitals saying, “Patient safety and quality improvement in women’s health have become top priorities nationally and for the state of Oklahoma. You have each demonstrated dedication to and excellence in improving the care of Oklahoma women and newborns. We have achieved improvement through your efforts, and together we must continue to drive change in a positive direction.”

In addition, Mildred Ramsey, MPH, RN, community nurse educator, The Parent Child Center of Tulsa, received the Warren M. Crosby Champion for Maternal and Infant Health Award for going above and beyond to display exemplary effort to improve outcomes for mothers and babies in the local community and statewide.

Partners in the Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative include: March of Dimes, Oklahoma City-County Health Department, Tulsa Health Department, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, Oklahoma Hospital Association, Oklahoma State Department of Health and County Health Departments, and University of Oklahoma Departments of OB/GYN and Pediatrics.