Preventing Non-Medically Related Early Elective Deliveries

MBGH received a grant from the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) and the United Health Foundation to conduct a summit of health care stakeholders and develop a community action plan to reduce the high number of inductions and C-sections performed in Illinois prior to 39 weeks of gestation. 

The coalition is working with Quality Quest for Health, the State of Illinois, and the March of Dimes to bring together representatives of employers, consumers, the Perinatal System Directors, health plans, physician and hospital groups to address clinical, education, payment, data and policy issues.

MBGH is a Regional Roll-Out Leader (RRO) for The Leapfrog Group and leads the effort to have Illinois hospitals report on various patient safety measures, including the number of deliveries and pre-term births. In March 2011, Leapfrog reported on the great variation in rates of non-medically related early deliveries in Illinois hospitals. MBGH, along with the Leapfrog Group, Chicago-area hospitals, health plans and other stakeholders issued a Call to Action in response to the new data finding that thousands of babies are electively scheduled for delivery too early for non-medical reasons, resulting in a higher likelihood of death, being admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and life-long health problems.

“Pre-term births are a growing issue in our community,” said Larry Boress, MBGH president and CEO. “This grant will help fund an organized, focused collaboration of patients, community leaders and providers in the Chicago area to address this problem. Through this coordinated effort we hope to demonstrate that we are able to make an impact on improving community health.”

The grant was created in response to the increasing incidence in debilitating and expensive chronic preventable disease brought to light with the publication of America’s Health Rankings® 2010, as well as the economic challenges confronting states and local communities. The other communities awarded grants are Indianapolis, Memphis, Rockford, Ill., Savannah and St. Louis.

Grant Outcomes

MBGH found that by informing hospitals of their status compared to their peers and sharing best practices developed by the March of Dimes and ACOG, over 70% of Illinois hospitals improved their early elective delivery rate within 12 months.

Following the end of the grant in 2012, MBGH and Quality Quest continued this effort by creating a statewide collaborative effort called “Healthy Babies, Healthy Moms (HBHM).” This initiative continues to focus on the following five major areas identified during the grant:

Measurement & Public Reporting
Hospital Elective Delivery Policies
Payment Reform
Malpractice Relief
Consumer Education

For more information on each of these areas and on the Health Babies, Healthy Moms Initaitive, click here 

In the News

Countering Early Elective Deliveries that Drive Up Costs (Feb 2012)
 
April 2011 Press Release