UI Health Redesignated Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care
Friday, April 12, 2024
UI Health has again been recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care by Blue Cross Blue Shield.
The Blue Distinction Specialty Care Program is a national designation program recognizing healthcare providers that demonstrate expertise in delivering quality specialty care — safely, effectively, and cost efficiently. Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) for Maternity Care demonstrate expertise and a commitment to quality care for vaginal and cesarean section deliveries. These centers demonstrate better overall patient satisfaction and a lower percentage of early elective deliveries. UI Health
The recognition showcases the full spectrum of care provided by the Departments of Family & Community Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynecology throughout pregnancy and through delivery. UI Health has been recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care since 2016 and also has been recognized as a BDC for Fertility Care.
To be designated under this program, each applicant facility was evaluated on a combination of objective data on patient outcomes as well as the practices implemented to reduce racial disparities and improve maternal health outcomes, including:
- Using evidence-based best practices to respond effectively to obstetric emergencies
- Participating in the regional Perinatal Quality Collaborative
- Collecting race, ethnicity and language data
- Having a program dedicated to quality improvements in maternal care
- Running drills and simulations to prepare providers are prepared to deal with a range of obstetric emergencies
- Demonstrating health outcomes that exceed the selection criteria from our program’s previous evaluation cycle
Based on data from the current designation cycle, facilities designated under the Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program demonstrate higher-quality care compared to non-Blue Distinction Center facilities, with overall average rates of 26% lower episiotomies, 60% fewer elective deliveries and 17% lower cesarean births — all of which point to healthier outcomes for patients.
