West Virginia Perinatal Partnership

Central Advisory Council Subcommittee on Guidelines and Recommendations for Perinatal Care

COMMITTEE REPORT

Obstetric Care Committee

Chair
--Luis Bracero, MD, Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine, CAMC

Members
--Michael Stitely, WVU OB/Gyn, WVU Morgantown
--Peggy Knight, OB Nurse Manager, Davis Memorial Hospital
--David Baltierra, MD, WVU School of Medicine, Eastern Division
--Marlene Merkel, OB Nurse Manager, WVU Hospitals, Morgantown
--Kat Ambler, CNM, CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital
--Kathy Quillen, OB Nurse Manager Cabell Huntington Hospital
--Nancy Burke, Director of Women’s Services, Wheeling Hospital
--Stephen Bush, Chair of OB/Gyn, CAMC
Robert Nerhood, MD Chair of OB/Gyn, Marshall
--Brenda Dawley, OB/Gyn and Chair-elect of WV ACOG
--Kathy Imes, RNC, Nurse Manager Cabell Huntington Hospital
--David Chaffin, MD, Director Maternal Fetal Medicine, Marshall University
--Chris Powell, Nurse Manager, Wheeling Hospital
--Fran O’Brien, RN, Nurse Manager, Greenbrier Valley Medical Center
--Jann Foley, CNM, MSN, Women's Health Care of Morgantown, providing care at Monongalia General Hospital
--Sheryl Sergent, RNC, OB Nurse Manager, Roane General Hospital
--Cynthia Marsh, RN Assistant Nurse Manager, Davis Memorial Hospital
--Patricia Moore, RN, MSN, Fairmont General Hospital
--Melanie Riley, OB Nurse Manager, WVU East City Hospital Committee

Staff
--Ann Dacey, RN, Nurse Coordinator, WV Perinatal Partnership

Neonatal Care Committee

Chair
--Janet Graeber, MD, Director of Neonatology, WVU Morgantown

Members
--Stefan Maxwell, MD, Neonatologist CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital
--Renee Domanico, MD, Neonatologist, Cabell Huntington Hospital
--Nancy Marcus, Nurse Manager, NICU CAMC Women’s and Children’s Hospital
--Lori Blackburn, Nurse Manager, NICU, Cabell Huntington Hospital
--Judi Polak, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, WVU Children’s Hospital
--Teresa Frazer, MD, Pediatrician from Bluefield
--Jann Stewart, Clinical Preceptor, NICU, WVU Hospitals
--Judy Romano, MD, Wheeling Pediatrician
--Traci Daugherty, Clinical Coordinator - Nursery WVUH East City Hospital
--Debbie Menders, Neonatal Transport Nurse, CAMC
--Maureen Kenny-Palmera, Nurse Manager, NICU, WVU Hospitals
--Babs Nightengale, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Mother/Baby Unit, WVU Children’s Hospital

Staff
--Ann Dacey, RN, Nurse Coordinator, WV Perinatal Partnership

Hospital Guidelines and Levels of Care Self-Assessment Initiative

Background

The 2006 the West Virginia Perinatal Wellness Study surveyed perinatal providers throughout West Virginia. Providers who were surveyed strongly recommended a more organized, statewide system of perinatal care. Many also stated that standards of care were inconsistent throughout the state. To address these and other concerns, the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership (WVPP) was formed with representatives from throughout out the state in every level of care. The partnership has recommended guidelines for levels of hospital care based on recommendations released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and the American College of Nurse-midwives (ACNM). These guidelines were adapted for West Virginia Hospitals by the Perinatal Partnership's Guidelines for Perinatal Care Committee. The guidelines were then sent for feedback to nurse managers at every obstetric hospital in West Virginia. The guidelines were once again edited with their feedback.

Goals

The ultimate goals of the hospital self assessment initiative are to:

1. Establish a consistent set of minimum expectations for each level of perinatal services in order to promote the highest quality of care for West Virginia’s mothers and babies no matter where they live.
2. Enable each institution to provide consumers with a consistent level and quality of perinatal services throughout West Virginia.
3. Recognize and honor the capabilities, commitment and resources of institutions that are beyond the minimum expectation for their level of perinatal services.

Hospital Self-Assessment Checklists

To meet these goals, the committee has developed Hospital Self-Assessment Checklists which were presented and discussed at the 2008 Perinatal Summit. They were also sent to nurse-manager of every obstetric facility in the state for feedback.

WV Perinatal Partnership is currently asking all West Virginia hospitals providing birthing services to voluntarily complete a level of care self-assessment.  All hospital completing self assessment will be recognized by the partnership. Through self-assessment, hospitals will be given the opportunity to self-identify the level of perinatal service they provide, based on criteria approved by the WV Perinatal Partnership Advisory Council. The criteria were adapted from the AAP levels of care and the Guidelines for Perinatal Care, Sixth Edition (2007). This self-assessment process is a step in WVPP’s history of promoting healthy birth outcomes.

Award Process

This process is voluntary. Results of self assessments will be confidential. Hospitals wishing for an official designation by the Perinatal Partnership should complete the self assessment and request a Perinatal Team Review. Others completing the self assessment, but not wishing to submit assessment checklist for an official designation, may simply complete the participation form. All hospitals that voluntarily agree to participate in any part of this process will be publicly recognized on the Perinatal Partnership website and at the annual conference on November 12, 2009 with certificates of participation. 

Hospitals which completed the process and were recognized by the Perinatal Partnership.

Self-Assessment Materials        

• Summary of the Three Levels of Hospital Perinatal Care (PDF) (MS Word)
• Instructions for Hospital Self-Assessment (PDF) ( MS Word)
• Hospital Participation Form (PDF) (MS Word)
• Hospital Self-Assessment Checklists:
• Minimum Criteria for Level I Perinatal Facilities, Programs and Services (PDF) (MS Word) (10/06/09)
• Minimum Criteria for Level II Perinatal Facilities, Programs and Services (PDF) (MS Word) (10/06/09)
• Minimum Criteria for Level III Perinatal Facilities, Programs and Services (PDF) (MS Word) (10/06/09)
• Appendix I Worksheet -- Recommended Registered Nurse/Patient Ratio for Perinatal Care Services (PDF) (MS Word)