The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) District II, Safe Motherhood Initiative (SMI) semi-annual meeting that GNYHA hosted last week was attended by more than 150 clinicians and administrators from 30 hospitals across the New York State.
Northwell Health’s Adiel Fleisher, MD, FACOG, and Montefiore Medical Center’s Lisa Nathan MD, FACOG, presented on the importance of Maternal Early Warning Systems and introduced the Maternal Sepsis Bundle developed by ACOG District II. This is the fourth bundle developed by ACOG as part of the SMI, which convenes clinicians and hospitals to develop evidence-based bundles of care to reduce morbidity and mortality from obstetric hemorrhage, venous thromboembolism, and severe hypertension. Sepsis Institute Education Director Peter Brodhead and Orlaith Staunton from the Rory Staunton Foundation for Sepsis Prevention shared their personal losses from sepsis to illustrate the impact of sepsis on patients and the need for early detection and intervention.
Marilyn Kacica, MD, Medical Director, New York State Department of Health (DOH) Division of Family Health, discussed the perinatal regionalization process, the goal of which is to improve the quality of care for all pregnant and postpartum women and newborns in the State. The proposed regulations will be submitted to an expert committee for review, followed by a public comment period. Dr. Kacica also discussed the upcoming inaugural meeting of the Statewide Maternal Mortality Review Board, which is tasked by law with conducting confidential, multidisciplinary reviews of cases that resulted in mortality or severe morbidity. The goal of the review process is to identify potential opportunities for improvement and prevention. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) discussed its Maternal Mortality Steering Committee’s data review efforts related to disparities in outcomes of pregnancy for minority women.
GNYHA supports members working to improve obstetrical outcomes in collaboration with ACOG, DOH, DOHMH, and the Healthcare Association of New York State on both the New York State Obstetric Hemorrhage Project and the New York State Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Project.