The Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative aims to enhance maternal and neonatal outcomes through the support of collaborative networks involving multiple disciplines. We are proud to highlight our ongoing active initiatives listed below. Our efforts involve a wide range of stakeholders, including healthcare providers, patients, public health experts, advocates, and community leaders, as we work together to develop, share, and implement evidence-based best practices.

Current Quality Improvement Initiatives

Initiatives

OB Emergency Readiness

The Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (OPQIC) will soon launch an educational program on obstetrical care readiness for emergency care providers in Oklahoma.  OPQIC is partnering with the Oklahoma State Department of Health, the Oklahoma Hospital Association and others to respond to recommendations from the Oklahoma Maternal Mortality Review Committee to ensure emergency care clinical teams are ready for and can respond appropriately to obstetric and postpartum clinical situations in your emergency department (ED).

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TeamBirth

TeamBirth ensures people giving birth and the clinicians who are caring for them have shared input and understanding into decisions during labor and delivery. We work with communities and public and private sector partners, including health systems, foundations, and governments, to implement, evaluate, and scale TeamBirth.

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OMNO

Oklahoma Mothers and Newborns Affected by Opioids (OMNO) was launched in 2020.

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Maternal Morbitity and Mortality

Oklahoma has struggled with high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality in recent years, with a maternal mortality rate higher than the national average and a significant increase in severe maternal morbidity. This is attributed to factors such as high prevalence of chronic health conditions, limited healthcare access in rural areas, and a shortage of healthcare providers trained in maternal care. Oklahoma has implemented a maternal mortality review committee and programs to improve access to maternal healthcare services to address these issues.

The Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) is a national partnership of organizations poised to reduce severe maternal morbidity by 100,000 events and maternal mortality by 1,000 deaths by 2018. The AIM program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau/Health Resource Services Administration.

Oklahoma is the first state to join the AIM initiative in conjunction with the OPQIC Every Mother Counts collaborative.

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Infant Mortality Reduction

Oklahoma has implemented a number of programs and initiatives aimed at reducing infant mortality, such as the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Maternal and Child Health Service and the Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative. These programs aim to improve access to healthcare services, promote healthy behaviors during pregnancy, and reduce the incidence of risk factors associated with infant mortality.

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Newborn Screening

The OPQIC (Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative) initiative for newborn screening is focused on enhancing the health outcomes of infants by implementing a standardized screening program in Oklahoma hospitals. The program involves screening for various conditions, such as critical congenital heart disease, hearing loss, and newborn jaundice. It also includes education and training for healthcare providers, data collection and analysis, and quality improvement efforts to optimize the screening process. Through the implementation of a comprehensive and standardized approach to newborn screening, OPQIC aims to improve the timely identification and treatment of health issues in newborns, resulting in improved health outcomes for infants across the state of Oklahoma.

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Spotlight Hospitals

The Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (OPQIC) seeks to recognize hospitals that are creating a culture of excellence in perinatal care for Oklahoma mothers and newborns. Oklahoma birthing hospitals meeting certain criteria will be recognized as “Spotlight Hospitals”. The criteria are based on participation in and outcomes of quality improvement initiatives that are available to all birthing hospitals. They change on a yearly basis as focus areas for improvements evolve. As activities progress, criteria will become more stringent and will be based on process, structure and outcomes measures, if available. Spotlight Hospitals will be recognized at the Summit and on the OPQIC website. Contact info@opqic.org with questions.

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Completed Initiatives

The OPQIC (Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative) has undertaken several initiatives in the past to enhance the quality of perinatal care in Oklahoma. These initiatives have included reducing elective deliveries before 39 weeks of gestation, promoting safe sleep practices, increasing the use of antenatal steroids to improve outcomes for premature infants, and improving breastfeeding rates. OPQIC has also focused on decreasing disparities in perinatal outcomes among different racial and ethnic groups in Oklahoma and implementing evidence-based practices for managing obstetric hemorrhage. The success of these initiatives has led to improvements in perinatal outcomes in Oklahoma and has provided a blueprint for other states and organizations to follow.

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