Ten Ochsner Health facilities receive 2024 Birth Ready designation in Louisiana

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) and the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC) recently recognized ten Ochsner Health and Ochsner partner facilities that have achieved 2024 Birth Ready Designation for committing to better birth outcomes for mothers in Louisiana.

Birth Ready Designation celebrates improved perinatal health outcomes, the result of implementing clinical practices that promote safe, equitable, and dignified birth for all birthing persons in Louisiana. With two tiers of achievement – Louisiana Birth Ready and Louisiana Birth Ready+ – the designation recognizes consistent, thoughtful healthcare improvement to create a system of sustained evidence-based change.

"We are proud to recognize the efforts of these birthing facilities for their excellence in maternity care," said Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, medical director of the LaPQC, who also serves as Section Head of Women’s Services-Ochsner Health, Kenner. "It's a testament to their unwavering commitment to delivering safe, respectful, and equitable care to every mother. Each new designation round sets higher benchmarks, and it's profoundly encouraging to see additional hospitals not only meet but surpass these standards."

As of 2024, the following Ochsner facilities have achieved Birth Ready+ Designation:

• Ochsner Baptist – A Campus of Ochsner Medical Center
• Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center
• Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge
• Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner
• Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank Campus
• Ochsner St. Anne Hospital
• Ochsner LSU Health - St. Mary Medical Center
  

As of 2024, the following Ochsner and partner facilities have achieved Birth Ready Designation:

• Ochsner American Legion Hospital
• Ochsner LSU Health – Monroe Medical Center
• Slidell Memorial Hospital

To achieve designation, facilities must meet criteria in five dimensions: participation in collaborative learning; health disparity and patient partnership; policies and procedures; structures and education; and outcome and process measures. Many of the hospitals awarded Designation have been working for years with the LaPQC, implementing evidence-based best practices to address common causes of maternal mortality and morbidity related to hemorrhage and hypertension, as well as practices that promote vaginal birth.

Hospitals that achieve Birth Ready+ Designation have met a higher threshold of compliance and achievement of the requirements.

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 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.

For more information on Birth Ready Designation and a full list of hospitals, visit PartnersForFamilyHealth.org/birth-ready.