Community input earns Uniontown Hospital maternity distinction
Community input has earned the Uniontown Hospital distinction from Highmark as a nationally designated health care facility shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes in maternity care.
The Family Beginnings Birthing Center was named a Blue Distinction Center for providing quality, affordable care for vaginal and cesarean births, routine obstetrical services and follow-up care.
“We are where the future of Fayette County begins, and this designation reaffirms what we already know about our women’s services,” hospital CEO Steve Handy said.”Our Family Beginnings Birthing Center team works hard every day to provide the best care for our patients, and it is that commitment that makes such designations a reality.”
Distinction was given to select hospitals in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware that earned the Blue Distinction® Center or Blue Distinction® Center+ designation in cardiac care and maternity care.
Uniontown is among 20 distinguished hospitals in western Pennsylvania designed to help consumers find and select quality, affordable care.
This is the hospital’s second honor having earned a Blue Distinction Center®+ in February for excellence in knee and hip replacement surgeries.
According to Highmark, the new Blue Distinction® Centers for Maternity Care program evaluates hospitals on several quality measures, including the percentage of newborns that fall into the category of early elective delivery, an ongoing concern in the medical community.
Nearly four million babies are born in the U.S. annually, making childbirth the most common reason for hospitalization.
“Our goal with the Blue Distinction Centers and Blue Distinction Centers+ for Specialty CareSM program is to identify hospitals in our service area that deliver higher overall quality and positive patient outcomes for a specific area of specialty care, such as cardiac care or maternity care,” said Marylou Buyse, M.D., M.S., senior medical director for Highmark. “This helps our members, and all local residents, make more informed healthcare decisions, especially in the important areas of cardiac and maternity care.”
The Maternity Care Program is designed to help consumers find both quality and value for their specialty care needs, while encouraging healthcare professionals to improve the overall quality and delivery of healthcare nationwide, and providing a credible foundation for local Blue Plans to design benefits tailored to meet employers’ own quality and cost objectives.
The program also evaluates hospitals on overall patient satisfaction, including a willingness to recommend the hospital to others.
Betty Ann Rock, chief nursing officer and executive director, who oversees the birthing center, said the honor is especially gratifying for those who work day in and day out to make sure Uniontown Hospital is doing everything it can for the health of those in need of maternity care.
“We are leading the way forward as a community hospital committed to providing for the health care needs of the community, and this honor represents that commitment.”
Hospitals that receive a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care designation meet requirements that support evidence-based practices of care. This includes Excela Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg.
Additionally, those hospitals initiated programs to promote successful breastfeeding, as described by Baby-Friendly USA and the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS).
To receive a Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care designation, a hospital must also meet requirements for cost efficiency.
As a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care designation, a hospital must demonstrate its expertise in delivering safe and effective cardiac care, focusing on cardiac valve surgery, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) episodes of care. A hospital must also have earned national accreditation at the facility level.
To receive a Blue Distinction Center+ for Cardiac Care designation hospitals must also demonstrate better cost efficiency compared to their peers in addition to meeting the established quality thresholds.
Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Clint Rhodes at 724-439-7518 or by email at crhodes@heraldstandard.com. Discount cards are available at the Herald-Standard, 8 East Church St., Uniontown, and at the Greene County Messenger, 82 W. High St., Waynesburg.