During a productive Maternal Health roundtable, MemorialCare maternity leaders from Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Medical Center, and Saddleback Medical Center and United States Congresswoman Young Kim, co-chair for the Maternity Care Congressional Caucus shared insights and strategies, leading to a deeper understanding of MemorialCare's best practices in improving maternal health outcomes both in perinatal and postpartum care. MemorialCare focuses on enterprise-wide strategic priorities, successfully improving outcomes for mothers and babies while expanding access to care to address health equity within its maternal programs.
Across MemorialCare’s entire health system from Los Angeles County to Orange County, expectant parents benefit from seamless connectivity with their care team throughout pregnancy and postpartum care through various supportive services as well as new virtual tools like BabyScripts. This innovative tool empowers mothers to communicate with their care team, receive curated perinatal information, and enable remote monitoring of maternal blood pressures, improving ease and access to care throughout their journey.
“MemorialCare’s relentless efforts yielded a marked reduction in C-section rates, directly improving outcomes,” stated Shela Kaneshiro, MBA, RN, BSN, FACHE, NEA-BC, CPHQ, chief clinical transformation officer, MemorialCare. “We’ve broadened access to care by providing emergency obstetrical care through our OB ED, providing prompt and high-quality maternity care to patients who experience maternal health issues while pregnant or newly postpartum. This helps us address health equity within our programs– a clear testament to our unwavering commitment to our patient’s well-being."
Saddleback Medical Center leaders shared updates on their recently opened Obstetrical Emergency Department (OB ED) – the second OB ED in the system as Orange Coast Medical Center opened in 2021. In the event of admission to the OB ED, patients receive specialized care from a team of OB ED registered nurses and board-certified OB/GYNs. This specialized approach ensures patients receive prompt and comprehensive care tailored to their obstetrical needs, promoting optimal outcomes for both mother and baby.
"We see a lot of expecting mothers come in who are high-risk," says Christine Huff, MSN-INF, RNC-OB, director, Women's & Children's Services, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center. "We saw a need to provide specialized and emergent care to our mothers who could be in a crisis, and we wanted to be sure we had access to this expert, tailored care for them 24/7 – this was an important step for South Orange County residents.”
At Orange Coast Medical Center, staff shared how educational classes around lactation and resources offered to patients in their preferred language is critical for achieving equity in different services. Educational classes, support groups, and hospital tours are available in English and Vietnamese, ensuring that all patients can access vital information and support in a language they understand. This commitment to linguistic inclusivity fosters trust, empowerment, and better health outcomes for the community's diverse patient population.
"Offering information and resources in a language that the patient prefers provides comfort and trust for the patient, and we care for them entirely," says Jennifer Ayala, MSN, RNC-OB, EFM-C, PMH-C, director, maternal child health services, MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center. "It shows that we see and hear them and want to make their birthing experience a healthy and safe experience for mom and baby."
Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach’s participation in a Birth Equity pilot, along with other California hospitals, created training and education for the care team on providing equitable care. Miller Children’s & Women’s is one of only two hospitals in the region with maternal and pediatric care under one room, delivering more than 5,500 babies and being home to a Level IV NICU – the highest designation available by the American Academy of Pediatrics. They have trained their care team to better listen to their patients, their needs, and their preferences in care, no matter their background.
"We've been working hard to address the perinatal care and birth experiences of our historically marginalized patients and the impact on the maternal mortality rate," says Sharilyn Kelly, DNP, MSN/MSHA, RN, NE-BC, C-ONQS, RNC-OB, executive director, Miller Children’s & Women’s. “Participating in programs like the Birth Equity Pilot with the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC) and Cherished Futures for Black Moms & Babies has allowed us to better understand how to help our families connect to the right maternal care at the right time and give us the data to measure how we supported them, and most importantly, how we can improve.”
Congresswoman Kim spoke about the importance and responsibility healthcare providers and hospitals have on changing maternal patient outcomes.
"Being a proud parent and grandmother myself, I know how important your work is for the communities you all serve," says Congresswoman Kim. "The roundtable today has helped me gain additional insight to bring back to the Bipartisan Maternity Care Congressional Caucus to see how we can support you and other hospitals nationwide."