West Virginia Perinatal Partnership

First Baby Initiative Oversight Committee

Champions: Luis Bracero, MD, FACOG, CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital, and Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, WVU Health Sciences Center, Charleston; William M. Holls, MD, Professor and Director of Labor & Delivery & Maternal and Fetal Medicine Outreach, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, and David C. Jude, MD, FACOG, Professor and Interim Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University

Committee Members: Nancy Atkins, WV Medicaid, Charleston; Cindy Beane, WV Medicaid, Charleston; Melissa Baker, WVDHHR, Charleston; James Becker, WV Medicaid, Charleston; Sue Binder, WV March of Dimes, Charleston; Phyllis Bradley, RN, Camden Clark Hospital, Parkersburg; Martha Carter, RN, NM, FamilyCare Health Center, Scott Depot; Sonia Chambers, WV Health Care Authority, Charleston; Ted Cheatham, PEIA, Charleston; Dan Christy, WV Bureau of Public Health, Charleston; Ann Dacey, RN, Nurse Coordinator, WV Perinatal Partnership, Morgantown; Joyce Daniels, WV Perinatal Partnership, Charleston; Brenda Dawley, MD, Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Huntington; Steve Dexter, Thomas Memorial Hospital, South Charleston; Jim Doria, WV Bureau of Public Health, Charleston; Kimberly Farry, MD, Associates for Women's Health, Buckhannon; June Jett, RN, NM, United Hospital Center, Bridgeport; Jim Kranz, WV Hospital Association, Charleston; Tom Light, WV Bureau of Public Health, Charleston; Lisa Marsh, Blue Cross/BlueShield, Charleston; Jim Pitrilo, WV Health Care Authority, Charleston; Martha Richardson, RN, The Health Plan, St. Clairsville; Gail Rock, CNM, Morgantown; Michael Stitely, MD, WVU School of Medicine, Morgantown; Gary Thompson, WV Bureau of Public Health, Charleston; Nancy Tolliver, WV Perinatal Partnership, Charleston; Amy Tolliver, WV State Medical Assn, Charleston; Jessica Toth, WV Health Care Authority, Charleston; Amy Wenmoth, WV Health Care Authority, Charleston; Marilyn G. White, WV Health Care Authority, Charleston

West Virginia First Baby Initiative

The West Virginia Perinatal Partnership is pleased to be collaborating with the West Virginia Health Care Authority, March of Dimes-West Virginia Chapter, and West Virginia hospitals in a project to improve health outcomes of mothers and their babies. The “West Virginia First Baby Initiative” is a quality improvement initiative that seeks to reduce cesarean sections in first-time mothers.

West Virginia, like most of the United States and Canada, has seen a rise in the rate of elective primary cesarean delivery and in elective labor induction, in part due to the widespread perception that these procedures are of little or no risk to healthy women. West Virginia has experienced some of the highest rates of labor induction and c-sections in the United States for several years. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Joint Commission, and other leading medical and health organizations have drawn attention to poor outcomes related to the unnecessary surgery, especially in first time mothers.

Under the leadership of maternal fetal medicine specialists Dr. Luis Bracero and Dr. William Holls, and obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. David C. Jude, hospitals are examining practices and focusing on reducing cesarean section rates among low-risk nulliparous women.

Read a full description of the First Baby Initiative.

Read West Virginia Quality Collaborative for Eliminating NonMedically Indicated Elective Deliveries Prior to 39 Weeks Gestation.

An introductory meeting was held on July 29, 2011, in Charleston (view proceedings of the July 29, 2011 meeting). The meeting featured presentations by Dr. David Lagrew of Saddleback Memorial Center, Laguna Hills, California on his research related to improving first-time mother and infant outcomes by reducing c-sections and early induction of labor.

For more information, please email Joyce Daniels.