West Virginia Perinatal Partnership

Committee on the Economic Impact of Poor Outcomes

Chair
Luis Bracero, MD, FACOG, MFM, CAMC Women and Children's Hospital, Charleston

Members
--Jay Bringman , MD, Associate Professor, Director of MFM Out-Patient Services, WVU School of Medicine, Morgantown
--David C. Jude, MD, FACOG, Professor and Interim Chair, Residency Program Director Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington
--Stefan Maxwell, MD, Chief of Pediatrics and Director of Neonatal Intensive Care Services, CAMC - Women and Children’s Hospital, Charleston
--Sandy Young, DNC, RN-BC, Nurse Director, Women and Children’s Services, Thomas Hospital, Charleston 
--Ann Dacey, RN, WVU School of Medicine, Morgantown
--David Chafin, MD, Professor and Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Dept of OB/GYN, MU, Huntington --Ted Cheatham, Director, WV PEIA, Charleston
--Sue Binder, RN, WV March of Dimes, Scott Depot
--Phyllis Bradley RN BSN MSHCA, Director Womens and Childrens, Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital, Parkersburg 

Advisors
--Amy Wenmoth, WV Health Care Authority, Charleston --Tom Light, Health Statistics Program, WVDHHR, Charleston

Staff
--Nancy Tolliver, RN, MSIR
--Kent Sowards, PhD, Director, Data and Survey Services, Center for Business and Economic Research, Marshall University   Volunteer to serve on this Committee

Quality Perinatal Care with Cost Containment

It may seem counterintuitive to some, but better perinatal care costs less than poor perinatal care.  Studies suggest that if policies are implemented to improve perinatal outcomes, West Virginia society's "bill" will be lower.  A discussion of the economic impact of poor outcomes and ways to address them in West Virginia are discussed in both the Blueprint to Improve Perinatal Health in West Virginia (2006) and the Reports on the Blueprint (2007).

Articles of Interest

MORE C-SECTIONS; MORE COMPLICATIONS: A new study shows a rise in maternal obstetrical complications mirrors rise in c-sections.  C-sections at 37-38 weeks gestation show double the rate of risk to newborns. Read the article in the Dominion Post.