LCMC HEALTH HOSPITALS RECEIVE BIRTH READY DESIGNATION

All five system birthing hospitals recognized by Louisiana Department of Health with distinction

NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) and the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC) announced that East Jefferson General Hospital, Lakeview Hospital, and Touro have maintained their Louisiana Birth Ready+ designations and Lakeside Hospital and West Jefferson Medical Center have maintained their Louisiana Birth Ready designations. All five LCMC Health birthing hospitals have been recognized for consistent, thoughtful healthcare improvement work that focuses on improving safety, equity, and promoting dignified birth.

To achieve this designation, facilities met criteria in five dimensions, including implementation of policies and procedures, promoting patient partnership, and addressing health disparities and equity. The hospitals that have achieved Birth Ready+ Designation have met a higher threshold of compliance and achievement of the requirements.

“LCMC Health is proud to have all of its birthing hospitals recognized with Birth Ready designation,” said Greg Feirn, CEO, LCMC Health. “Our hospitals put in extraordinary work towards making Louisiana a healthier state by improving maternal health outcomes in our community.”

LCMC Health strives to bridge the gap of healthcare disparities to address the unique needs of our patients. By offering programs that improve the level of compassionate care received, patients and families receive a personalized experience leading to healthier birthing experiences.

“It is a privilege to acknowledge these birthing facilities that are working to implement best practices in an equitable way to ensure every woman who gives birth has a safe, equitable, and dignified birth,” said Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, medical director of the LaPQC. “Through each round of designations, the requirements become more stringent, so to have additional hospitals achieve designation is truly an accomplishment.”

The work of the LaPQC, an initiative of the Department’s Bureau of Family Health and the Louisiana Commission on Perinatal Care and Prevention of Infant Mortality, is dedicated to improving perinatal and neonatal outcomes across Louisiana. The LaPQC was created to promote the implementation of evidence-based practices to reduce significant factors that contribute to poor birth outcomes. The collaborative also focuses on promoting health equity and reducing racial and ethnic disparities.