Search Results: MCHLine

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Keywords: Adolescent health, Assessment, Health care systems, Program improvement, Quality assurance

Annotation: This toolkit features a variety of resources and tools -- including presentations, samples, and guides -- on the topic of quality improvement (QI). The items are grouped into the following categories: Introduction to QI, QI plans, QI leadership, managing QI collaboratives, building QI cultures, data and measurement, and QI tools and frameworks,

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Keywords: Program improvement, Public health, Quality assurance

Annotation: This fact sheet from the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC) promotes scheduling early maternal health safety checks within two weeks postpartum to improve care for new mothers. It presents data showing that 80% of pregnancy-associated deaths in Illinois between 2014-2016 occurred in the year following birth, with 24% occurring within 42 days postpartum before the traditional six-week visit. The fact sheet outlines key elements of these early postpartum safety checks, describes the aim and strategies of the ILPQC Improving Postpartum Access to Care (IPAC) Initiative launched in May 2019, and shares early successes from participating hospitals.

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Keywords: Illinois, Perinatal care: Postpartum care: Safety, Quality improvement, Standards, State initiatives

Annotation: This document provides guidance from the Indiana Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (IPQIC) on standardizing discharge planning and referrals to ongoing services and support for postpartum patients with substance use disorders. It outlines recommended hospital procedures, including urine drug screening, monitoring for withdrawal symptoms, offering medication-assisted treatment, and providing referrals to treatment programs and resources. The document emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive discharge plan that includes outpatient follow-up with pediatric, substance use, and primary care providers, as well as newborn safe sleep education and contraception planning. Additional resources are provided for further information and referrals.

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Keywords: Guidelines, Indiana, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, Standards, State initiatives

Annotation: This perinatal mental health screening protocol and briefing guide is designed to provide a culturally responsive framework for screening Black birthing persons. The protocol aims to address the urgent need for improved screening and quality care for this population, which is at higher risk for perinatal depression and anxiety. Informed by focus groups with Black birthing people, Black birth workers, perinatal service providers, and a literature review, the guide outlines five key steps for conducting screenings: fostering an atmosphere of trust and safety, starting a conversation, providing choice and transparency, discussing results with patients, and making referrals with follow-through. The briefing includes considerations for providers before screening, such as assessing biases, serving with cultural humility, understanding community fears and stigma, and recognizing common phrases used to indicate anxiety or depression. The protocol also provides guidance on establishing an organizational screening process and building culturally responsive referral partnerships.

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Keywords: Blacks, Child birth, Culutral sensitivity, Mental health, Ohio, Perinatal care, Protocol, Quality improvement, Screening, State initiatives

Annotation: This brief presents initial findings from interviews with providers and mothers with Medicaid in Texas about the implementation of the state's Medicaid 12-month postpartum extension. Interviewees identified significant implementation challenges, including lack of awareness, confusion about which providers should serve postpartum women, and administrative hurdles. The document also highlights the need for more mental health supports for new mothers and additional Medicaid benefits and providers, particularly in rural areas. It offers policy recommendations to increase awareness of the postpartum benefit, support mental health through community programs, and improve access to services and providers in the Medicaid network.

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Keywords: Healthcare reform, Interviews, Medicaid, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, State initiatives, Texas

Annotation: This resource outlines best practices for equitable maternal care, addressing the disparities experienced by women of color, particularly given the near 40% increase in maternal mortality since 2020. It identifies both individual-level strategies, such as screening and documenting social needs and practicing empathy, and systemic efforts, including offering implicit bias training, integrating health equity into quality improvement processes, and diversifying the maternal care workforce. The resource features hospitals in action, describing programs like the HoPE Doula Program and the Swedish Doula Services Program, which integrate community-based doulas to provide continuous support, advocacy, and connection to resources for pregnant and postpartum families. Additionally, it details the University of Chicago’s STAMPP-HTN (Systematic Treatment and Management of Postpartum Hypertension) program, a quality improvement bundle utilizing nurse educators and remote blood pressure monitors to improve immediate postpartum care for women with hypertensive disorders, which successfully eliminated follow-up disparities among Black and White women.

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Keywords: Community based services, Doulas, Health care disparities, Health equity, Hypertension, Maternal health, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, Resources for professionals

Annotation: This report identifies gaps, opportunities, and alignment for reforms to create a better postpartum maternal health care experience.

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Keywords: Data analysis, Mental health, Policy development, Postpartum care, Pregnancy loss, Quality improvement

Annotation: This website describes the Advancing Maternal Health Through Quality Improvement and Professional Education Initiative and its efforts to improve postpartum systems of care related to cardiovascular health. It addresses management strategies for heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes in birthing persons to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. Available resources include scientific statements, professional guidelines, webinars, and a podcast series that explores community-led solutions and clinical-community linkages. The site also presents clinical recommendations developed by a multi-disciplinary writing group supported by Merck for Mothers.

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Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases, Health care systems, Maternal health, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Quality improvement

Annotation: This white paper presents a framework for state Perinatal Quality Collaboratives to measure how effectively hospitals and other healthcare sites implement quality improvement initiatives. It details the application of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Assessment Scale for Collaboratives, a five-point linear scale designed to track progress from initial planning to outstanding sustainable results. The document provides guidance on adapting the assessment scale template for specific projects and addresses implementation challenges related to data burden and hospital capacity. Appendices feature case studies and implementation results from state programs in Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Iowa, including examples of visual dashboards and narrative reporting tools

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Keywords: Health facilities, Hospitals, Measures, Perinatal care, Quality Improvement

Annotation: This white paper presents a flexible measurement framework for state Perinatal Quality Collaboratives to assess and track hospital engagement in quality improvement initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes for mothers and newborns. It details four primary domains for measuring participation: enrollment, meeting attendance, data submission, and the implementation of specific structural or process change. The document provides specific recommendations for using these measures to evaluate outreach efforts, recognize hospital achievements, and satisfy federal reporting requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,,. Supplemental tables feature a comprehensive list of suggested and notable participation measures, including examples of data use agreements, team role designations, and strategies for sharing data with community partners

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Keywords: Data collection, Hospitals, Measures, Quality Improvement

Annotation: This practice guide provides information to help state Title V maternal and child health programs in their implementation of the national performance measure on preventive dental visit. It also provides sample evidence-based or evidence-informed strategy measures (ESMs), possible data sources for ESMs, and a list of resources. Programs can also use this information to assist in the implementation of oral-health-related state performance measures. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Oral health, Pregnant women, Prevention, Quality improvement, State programs, Telehealth, Title V programs

Annotation: This report summarizes the second meeting of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department's Secretary's Postpartum Maternal Health Collaborative, held January 10, 2025. The document describes how six states (Iowa, New Mexico, Minnesota, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Michigan) implemented evidence-based practices over a 10-month period to reduce postpartum morbidity and mortality. Three states focused on mental health and substance use disorders while three addressed cardiovascular conditions. The report details specific state-level initiatives, including improved screening, care coordination, and follow-up processes, highlighting successful cross-sector collaborations between state health departments, Medicaid agencies, healthcare facilities, and community organizations. Key insights include the importance of standardizing care pathways while tailoring patient engagement strategies, leveraging quality improvement initiatives, and investing in data infrastructure. The document concludes with lessons learned about the benefits of cross-state collaboration and federal technical assistance in implementing facility-level changes that can improve maternal health outcomes.

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Keywords: Collaboration, Conference proceedings, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maternal health, Michigan , Minnesota, Models, New Mexico, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, Standards

Annotation: This report presents a roadmap of California's Birthing Care Pathway initiative launched by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to address maternal health disparities and improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal members. It describes the current state of maternal health in California, highlighting concerning trends in pregnancy-related mortality and severe maternal morbidity with significant racial disparities affecting Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Pacific Islander individuals. The document outlines DHCS' strategic approach to improve maternal health through policy solutions developed with input from diverse stakeholders, including Medi-Cal members. Key components include strengthening provider access, enhancing clinical care coordination, providing whole-person care, and modernizing maternity care payment systems. The report details recent Medi-Cal policy enhancements for perinatal care and describes California's participation in the federal Transforming Maternal Health Model to further strengthen delivery systems in selected Central Valley counties.

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Keywords: California, Health care disparities, Maternal health, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Model programs, Perinatal care, Policy development, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, State initiatives, Trends

Annotation: This brief explores state policy strategies and priorities for improving systems of care for children and youth with chronic and complex health needs, including disabilities, medical complexities, and behavioral health disorders. It describes efforts to promote integrated and coordinated care through state agency alignment and Medicaid managed care arrangements while facilitating access to specialty care via workforce expansion and telehealth. The brief also addresses supports for transition-age youth, strategies to compensate family caregivers, and methods for engaging families as system partners. It features practice examples from Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas and discusses policy considerations using national standards for care coordination and systems of care.

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Keywords: Adolescents, Child health, Chronic illnesses and disabilities, Health care systems, Policy Development, Quality improvement, Service integration, Youth

Annotation: This workbook provides guidance for implementing evidence-based practices to improve care for pregnant and postpartum individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD). It summarizes the evidence on the significant risks of CVD in pregnancy, which can exacerbate pre-existing conditions or lead to new disorders due to the hemodynamic changes of pregnancy. The workbook presents data from Missouri's Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review, finding that CVD accounted for 30% of pregnancy-related deaths from 2017-2021, with most deemed preventable and Black women disproportionately impacted. To address this crisis, the AIM Cardiac Conditions in Obstetric Care patient safety bundle components are provided, with detailed strategies for implementing universal cardiac risk screening, rapid response protocols, cardio-obstetric teams, care coordination, patient education, and equity-focused data monitoring. Emphasis is placed on early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment to prevent complications and death. Resources and references are included for further training and implementation.

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Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases, Evidence-based medicine, Guidelines, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Missouri, Obstetrical complications, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Prevention, Quality improvement, Resources for professionals, State initiatives

Annotation: This doctoral paper describes the development and implementation of a quality improvement initiative to improve the consistency of midwifery-led postpartum patient education on the day of hospital discharge. Guided by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Model for Improvement framework and the Knowledge to Action Framework, the project involved creating a comprehensive postpartum patient education handout, modifying the existing discharge summary documentation template, and altering the midwifery postpartum workflow. The project was conducted over two Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles in a faculty midwifery practice at a large urban academic hospital in the Pacific Northwest. Key findings demonstrated increased documentation of postpartum education, with 100% of discharge summaries utilizing the standardized template post-intervention. The project highlights the importance of improving consistency in discharge education to enhance maternal health outcomes, provider workflow, and health equity in postpartum care.

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Keywords: Midwifery, Patient discharge, Patient educatiton materials, Postpartum care, Quality improvement

Annotation: This report describes the framework that the 2023 Medicaid and CHIP Oral Health Initiative (OHI) Workgroup used to set priorities for improving oral health care access, quality, and outcomes and advancing health equity in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The report also summarizes workgroup input for the following focus areas: strategic priorities, strategies, and measures for monitoring progress for the next phase of the OHI. It provides background on why good oral health is important and about what the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has done to achieve the goal of improving oral health care for Americans, as well as about the workgroup’s charge.

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Keywords: Access to oral health care, Medicaid: Children's Health Insurance Program, Oral health, Quality improvement

Annotation: This report examines the critical impact of mental health and substance use disorders on maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States, highlighting how suicide and substance use-related overdoses account for over 20 percent of postpartum deaths. It presents promising approaches from states including Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, New Hampshire, and California that integrate maternity care with behavioral health services and social supports. The report outlines six key recommendations for improving care: supporting dedicated multidisciplinary care teams, centering people with lived experience to drive health equity, normalizing substance use care, training all staff on bias and stigma, expanding the community-based workforce including doulas and peer recovery specialists, and implementing harm reduction and street medicine approaches. The authors emphasize that with nearly every state now providing 12 months of postpartum Medicaid coverage, there are unprecedented opportunities to implement integrated, trauma-informed, non-punitive care models that can significantly reduce maternal mortality and improve outcomes for families.

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Keywords: Substance abusing pregnant women, Community participation, Disorders, Health care reform, Initiatives, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Medicaid, Mental health, Model programs, Perinatal addiction, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, Risk factors, Service integration, Substance use disorders

Annotation: This report summarizes key findings from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department's Postpartum Maternal Health Collaborative Expert Evidence Convening held in April 2024. The document synthesizes insights from four expert panels focused on reducing postpartum mortality, covering mental health and substance use disorder, community and social drivers of health, clinical care, and state-level policy opportunities. The report identifies seven key themes for state policy action, including enabling better care transitions with technology and patient-specific planning, providing resources before screening for social needs, ensuring cross-sector collaboration, incorporating community engagement, supporting quality improvement initiatives, implementing patient-centered care approaches, and investing in data infrastructure. Panel discussions revealed strategies such as implementing non-punitive child welfare policies, reimbursing integrated healthcare and telehealth services, extending postpartum coverage, bundling care incentives, and addressing systems barriers including access limitations, provider competency gaps, and cultural barriers that impact maternal health outcomes.RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.

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Keywords: Collaboration, Conference proceedings, Indiana, Maternal health, Mental health, Models, Pennsylvania, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, State initiatives