Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Improving Perinatal Safety

Providing quality care for our tiniest patients, many hospitals are eliminating elective early term deliveries and thus preventing adverse outcomes for newborns as well as their mothers. In 2003, Seton Family of Hospitals in Central Texas, part of Ascension Health, became a pilot site for programs to reduce birth trauma. This initiative was part of Journey to Zero, a systemwide campaign at Ascension to deliver safe care within several clinical areas. Seton implemented the ?39-week rule,? which held physicians accountable for declining all requests for elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks, unless medically necessary. If a physician performed an elective delivery prior to 39 weeks, the case was sent to a review panel. As a result, since July 2005, Seton has not performed any elective deliveries before 39 weeks. Birth trauma incidence rates have decreased significantly, from 30 per 10,000 over the period 2000?2003 to an average of 2 per 10,000 over the last five years, a 93 percent reduction. In addition, admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit have decreased, representing a reduction in charges of nearly $4 million per year. For more information, contact Judy Kitchens at jkitchens@seton.org.