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.