MD Magazine: The Birth of a New Decade: Will We Finally Improve Maternal Care in the US?

MD Magazine: The Birth of a New Decade: Will We Finally Improve Maternal Care in the US?

"We must strengthen our resolve to improve maternal care. We can do better, and we know how to." In an article published in MD Magazine, OBHG's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mark Simon says it's time for health practitioners and administrators to ensure patients are receiving the very best maternal care available.

Dr. Simon’s recommendations for improving maternal care in 2020 include requiring implicit bias training, ensuring women have access to care at all phases of pregnancy and strengthening proven maternal care protocols. He also supports levels of maternal care designations.

The article also reference the benefits of OB hospitalists:

For example, obstetrics hospitalists are being used more and more by hospitals to augment the role of community obstetricians and in-house staff. These hospitalists provide immediate, on-site availability in the case of an emergency, care for unassigned patients, and can manage the labor and delivery process on behalf of the community physician or until their arrival.

The use of a hospitalist can also help ensure standardized care is available, which has been shown to improve outcome, as well as help ease the burden of on-call obligations. Administrators should also recognize that not every patient presenting at the hospital requires an obstetrician. Maternal care should incorporate greater use of certified nurse midwives (CNMs), who can help obstetricians by providing skilled, efficient, compassionate care across the pregnancy spectrum, including in the Labor and Delivery suite. 

Click here to read the full article.