Overview
The WV Perinatal Partnership is committed to helping the healthcare facilities in West Virginia to deliver high-quality, data- driven care. Quality Improvement (QI) in perinatal healthcare is crucial for enhancing maternal and neonatal outcomes. We embed QI processes into all our work by systematically analyzing and improving care processes. Our aim is to reduce complications during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Fostering a culture of continuous improvement ensures that healthcare providers can deliver the highest standards of care, ultimately leading to better health for mothers and their babies. The Partnership supports our communities and healthcare facilities by collecting data and targeting our initiatives to the greatest needs.
Our QI efforts are overseen by the Quality Improvement Advisory Council (QIAC), a multidisciplinary team that meets quarterly. The QIAC reviews the QI projects throughout WV and offers guidance and advice to target our effort for maximum impact.
Our Approach
We believe evidence-based quality improvement initiatives are the key to improving maternal health outcomes.
Currently, West Virginia is coordinating efforts to implement the Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Patient Safety Bundle in all delivering facilities. Obstetric care providers and hospital staff have participated in emergency simulation drills, created policies and emergency protocols to identify, diagnose and treat severe hypertension in pregnancy quickly and effectively. Eighty percent of hospitals report using staff debriefs and multidisciplinary reviews to improve patient outcomes and experiences.
| Birth Outcome | WV | U.S. | WV Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preterm Births | 13.1% | 10.4% | 3rd |
| Low Birth Weight | 10% | 8.6% | 6th |
| Very Low Birth Weight | 1.4% | 1.4% | 20th |
We work to improve maternal health outcomes by aligning national, state and hospital-level quality efforts via multiple collaborative projects. Explore our projects:
Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health – Patient Safety Bundles
West Virginia is proud to have joined the AIM initiative in 2018 with support from the state Chapter of ACOG, AWHONN, WV Hospital Association, Office of Maternal Child and Family Health and the Bureau for Public Health. An AIM Task Force was created and co-chaired by Melanie Riley, RN, MSN and Coy Flowers, MD. The AIM Task Force continues to work on patient safety initiatives under the medical support from Shon Rowan, MD, WVU Medicine and Emily Sloane, MD Marshall University, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.
Preterm Birth
Preterm birth rates in West Virginia are a significant concern for the Partnership as they continue to rise and are consistently higher than the national average. We are actively addressing this issue through two primary projects. The first project “Born at the Right Place” addresses infants being born in a facility that meets their minimum level of care needed based on the facility’s LOCATe level. Specifically, we are focusing on very low birth weight (VLBW) babies who are born in non-tertiary care hospitals. This project aims to improve the care and outcomes for these vulnerable infants by ensuring they receive appropriate and timely medical attention. The second project targets late preterm births, aiming to reduce the incidence and associated complications by implementing evidence-based interventions and enhancing prenatal care. Rising late preterm birth rates are driving the overall rise in preterm birth rates in WV. Both projects are crucial in our efforts to lower preterm birth rates and improve maternal and infant health outcomes in West Virginia.
Mother/Infant Dyad: Transitions of Care for Mothers and Newborns affected by Substance Exposure.
The aim of this project is to enhance the health and safety in a mother/baby dyad affected by substance use disorder in West Virginia. We created a comprehensive checklist to be used by hospitals when a woman and her baby are identified as being affected by substance exposure at birth. This checklist will ensure that both mother and infant receive the necessary referrals and connections to social services prior to discharge. Our goal is to create a thorough but streamlined process that ensures these families do not fall through the cracks but instead are supported with the appropriate resources, fostering a safer and more stable transition from hospital to home.
Patient Family Partners
Incorporating patient stories into our Quality Improvement (QI) work is a vital aspect of our approach to enhancing maternal and infant health outcomes. By sharing real-life experiences from patients and their families and incorporating them into our QI processes, we aim to bring a human element to our data. These stories provide invaluable insights into the challenges and successes faced by those directly affected by preterm birth and other issues and help create a more robust QI approach. Through these narratives, we strive to create a more patient-centered care model that addresses the unique needs and perspectives of our population, ultimately driving better outcomes and a more compassionate healthcare system.
Risk Appropriate Care
The West Virginia Perinatal Partnership is actively engaged in working to promote risk appropriate care for mothers and babies across the state. Designation of Levels of Care, maternal and neonatal, have been explored through the implementation of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) LOCATe program, and work groups evaluating perinatal outcomes at all levels. Learn more about LOCATe.
In addition to this analysis of maternal outcomes, the WVPP is engaged in current work to explore preterm births in the state. Starting with the delivery of very low birth weight infants outside of tertiary care centers, and building to a larger review of preterm deliveries, the aim is to help babies be “Born in the Right Place”.
Other Initiatives
Quality Improvement (QI) is central to our strategy in addressing maternal and infant health issues. Continuous evaluation and refinement of our practices ensure that we are always striving for excellence and achieving the best possible outcomes. By incorporating QI methodologies, we can identify gaps in care, implement effective interventions, and track progress over time. The following Partnership initiatives have QI components:
