Crouse Hospital Receives New York State Obstetric Hemorrhage Project 2021 Quality Improvement Award

The New York State Perinatal Quality Collaborative (NYSPQC) has awarded Crouse Health’s Kienzle Family Maternity Center with the New York State Obstetric Hemorrhage Project 2021 Quality Improvement Award.

This award recognizes Crouse’s participation in the NYS Obstetric Hemorrhage Project and the dedicated work to meet the project’s goal of assessing at least 85% of patients on admission to the birth hospitalization and during the postpartum period for risk of obstetric hemorrhage.

As a project participant, Crouse worked to: improve readiness to respond to an obstetric hemorrhage by implementing standardized policies and procedures; develop rapid response teams; improve recognition of obstetric hemorrhage by performing ongoing quantification of blood loss; improve response to hemorrhage by performing regular on-site, multidisciplinary hemorrhage drills; and improve reporting of obstetric hemorrhage by using standardized definitions, resulting in consistent coding.

The NYSPQC aims to prove the best and safest care for pregnant and birthing women and infants in New York State. The NYSPQC has been collaborating with birthing facilities since 2010 to improve and ensure the quality of obstetrical care and infant health and safety.

“Crouse is proud to have earned this recognition from New York State’s Department of Health,” says Director of Women and Infants Services, Betty O’Connor. “This award affirms our mission of providing the best in patient care to babies, mothers and families.”

Due to the efforts of participating facilities such as the Kienzle Family Maternity Center, the project was able to meet the goal of reducing maternal morbidity and mortality associated with obstetric hemorrhage in New York State. In November 2018, the project goal of increasing hemorrhage risk assessment on admission to 85% of pregnant people was met. On admission hemorrhage risk assessment improved 21% from baseline. Furthermore, postpartum hemorrhage risk assessment improved 97% from baseline.