New York State Department of Health Honors Birthing Hospitals for Reversing the Trend of Scheduling Early Deliveries
Research shows early deliveries can lead to health and developmental problems
ALBANY, N.Y. (January 13, 2015) –The New York State Perinatal Quality Collaborative (NYSPQC), an initiative of the New York State Department of Health, is pleased to announce the recipients of the NYSPQC Obstetrical Improvement Project's 2013 Quality Improvement Award. This award supports the project's mission of reducing the trend of scheduling early deliveries via induction or cesarean when no medical reason exists.
"Preterm birth can lead to severe health problems, including difficulty breathing and feeding, vision impairment, and developmental delays," said Acting State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. "The brain is the last major organ to mature in babies; the more prematurely a baby is born, the more likely it is that bleeding or other stressors will affect the brain. Babies need a healthy start, and full-term pregnancy helps them get that start."
Ninety-seven of New York's 127 birthing hospitals participated in the collaborative. Between June 2012 and December 2013, these hospitals reported a 92 percent decrease in scheduled deliveries for no medical reason between 36 and before 39 weeks gestation. This includes an 86 percent decrease in inductions and a 94 percent decrease in cesarean sections. Additionally, documentation shows maternal education on the risks and benefits of preterm scheduled delivery increased by 41 percent.
The recipients of the 2013 Quality Improvement Award reported fewer than three scheduled deliveries without a medical indication for either all of 2013, or the six-month period of July through December 2013. The 12-month award is the highest level of achievement possible for this project.
The award recipients are:
12 Month Award Recipients – January 2013 to December 2013
Albany Medical Center Hospital | Canton-Potsdam Hospital |
Jones Memorial Hospital | St. James Mercy Hospital |
Auburn Community Hospital | Southampton Hospital |
Woman's Christian Association Hospital | Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center |
Columbia Memorial Hospital | St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center |
Cortland Regional Medical Center | Catskill Regional Medical Center |
Northern Dutchess Hospital | HealthAlliance Hospital – Broadway Campus |
Stony Brook University Hospital | NYCHHC - Coney Island Hospital |
Adirondack Medical Center - Saranac Lake Health Center | Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center - Concourse Division |
Nathan Littauer Hospital | Lutheran Medical Center |
Lewis County General Hospital | University Hospital of Brooklyn |
Unity Hospital | NYCHHC - Bellevue Hospital Center |
Winthrop University Hospital | Lenox Hill Hospital |
Mercy Medical Center | NYCHHC - Metropolitan Hospital Center |
South Nassau Communities Hospital | Mount Sinai Hospital |
St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center | Flushing Hospital Medical Center |
F. F. Thompson Hospital | St. John's Episcopal Hospital South Shore |
Oswego Hospital | Aurelia Osborn Fox Memorial Hospital |
Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Medical Center | NYCHHC - Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center |
NYCHHC - Woodhull Medical & Mental Health Center | New York Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medical Center |
Massena Memorial Hospital | New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Medical Center |
6 Month Award Recipients – July 2013 to December 2013
UHS - Wilson Hospital Division | Glens Falls Hospital |
Vassar Brothers Medical Center | Hudson Valley Hospital Center |
United Memorial Medical Center - North Street Campus | St. John's Riverside Hospital - St. John's Division |
Samaritan Medical Center | Westchester Medical Center |
Oneida Healthcare Center | Montefiore Medical Center Wakefield Campus |
Highland Hospital | NYCHHC - North Central Bronx Hospital |
Eastern Niagara Hospital Lockport | Maimonides Medical Center |
Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare - St. Luke's Division | Richmond University Medical Center |
Saratoga Hospital | NYU Langone Medical Center |
Ellis Medicine - Bellevue Woman's Center | Mount Sinai Roosevelt |
New York-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital |
The NYSPQC aims to provide the best and safest care for women and infants in New York State. Since September 2010, the Department has collaborated with New York State Regional Perinatal Centers to improve and ensure the quality of obstetrical care related to preterm birth. Early in 2012, NYSPQC expanded to include all interested birthing hospitals in the New York State, and aligned with the New York State Partnership for Patients, a joint partnership of the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) and Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) which works with hospitals to focus on improving outcomes in key clinical areas, such as preventing infections and injuries from falls.
Since the project's inception, participants have had the opportunity to learn from faculty and colleagues; receive individual coaching from faculty members; gather new knowledge on the subject matter and process improvement; share experiences and collaborate on improvement plans; and create strategies to overcome improvement barriers.
For additional information on the NYSPQC visit: www.nyspqc.org.