Delivering Better Outcomes for Pregnant Women
When pregnant women experience complications, they often head to the emergency room. Specialized training is helping Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center to better diagnose and care for them, while supporting Maryland's efforts to cut severe maternal morbidity rates and address disparities that impact Black mothers.
Earlier this year, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center earned the B.I.R.T.H. Equity Maryland designation from the Maryland Patient Safety Center. The hospital's Emergency department team members completed education to increase their knowledge of pregnancy-related complications and their awareness of disparities in negative maternal outcomes.
Pregnant and postpartum patients are often seen in primary care offices, clinics, emergency departments or other community health settings, where their obstetric history and early symptoms may be underappreciated. At Shady Grove Medical Center, the program has significantly enhanced communication between providers and nurses, leading to interdepartmental changes and more efficient care for pregnant and postpartum patients, noted Stacey Quinlan, RN, manager of the Adventist HealthCare Germantown Emergency Center, who led B.I.R.T.H. Equity Maryland efforts for the hospital.
"This initiative has not only driven policy changes but has also strengthened our capacity to deliver timely and appropriate care," Stacey said. Caregivers learned to spot bias and understand how it impacts care, and to communicate concerns more effectively to patients.
Recognizing Disparities to Reduce Complications
The Maryland Patient Safety Center notes that pregnancy-related issues are the fifth most common reason for emergency visits among women ages 15 to 65. Those issues disproportionately impact Black women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), non-Hispanic Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than non-Hispanic white women. Systemic racism, bias and discrimination are key drivers of these disparities in outcomes. Data from the CDC in 2022 showed 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.
"We applaud Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center for completing the B.I.R.T.H. Equity Maryland training and taking the necessary steps to understand and address postpartum complications and begin to reduce the significant health equity issues that exist," said Stephanie Peditto, president and CEO of the Maryland Patient Safety Center. "Non-obstetric providers in primary and emergency care settings play such an important role in really hearing patients' concerns and identifying and acting on severe maternal warning signs in the postpartum period."
The program has guided Shady Grove Medical Center to refine its processes for identifying, treating and following up with pregnant women about complications, Stacey said.
"The B.I.R.T.H. Equity program ensures that all our patients receive the highest standard of care," she said. "At Shady Grove Medical Center, we are committed to upholding these standards and advancing health equity for all our patients."
Learn about Shady Grove Medical Center's services for expecting mothers and their babies at AHCYou.com/F24Birth.
