The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has designated The University of Kansas Health System Great Bend Campus as birthing friendly. This label identifies hospitals and health systems that participate in statewide or national quality improvement for women throughout their birthing experience. These hospitals and health systems also apply evidence-based care to improve maternal health.
"At the health system, we are constantly working to increase patient education and incorporate evidence-based care into our routines," says Shannon Garcia, RN, OB nurse manager at Great Bend Campus. “Unfortunately, pregnant people experience alarming rates of harm or death in the US. To address this, we partnered with Kansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative to ensure optimal care and safety for all women who choose to have their babies here.”
Great Bend Campus also received a Gold Level status certificate in the Fourth Trimester Initiative. The Kansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative aims to increase maternal safety through patient care, reducing maternal morbidity and mortality.
"Kansas is the first state to successfully implement the Fourth Trimester Initiative, which focuses on educating those who are giving birth about maternal warning signs during pregnancy and in the first year after birth,” Garcia adds. “I’m excited that our hospital is part of this groundbreaking work."
These designations help patients choose hospitals that have demonstrated a commitment to maternal health through healthcare best practices that advance quality, safety and equity for pregnant and postpartum women. Quality measures include low-risk cesarean section deliveries, identifying a mother’s postpartum care team and postpartum care including maternal mental health.
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