ROME — Rome Memorial Hospital recently received the Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care designation, a new designation under the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program, according to a news release issued by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
The program’s goal is to help prospective parents find hospitals that deliver quality, affordable maternity care, Excellus, Central New York’s largest health insurer, said.
Nearly 4 million babies are born in the U.S. annually, making childbirth the most common cause of hospitalization. This 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.
Compared with babies born 39 weeks or later, early-term infants face higher risks of infant death and respiratory ailments such as respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and respiratory failure, among other conditions. These babies also have a higher rate of admission to Neonatal Intensive Care Units, according to the release.
Hospitals that receive a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care designation agreed to meet requirements that align with principles that support evidence-based practices of care. These hospitals also initiated programs to promote successful breastfeeding, as described in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative by Baby-Friendly USA or the Mother-Friendly Hospital program by the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) through its “Ten Steps of Mother-Friendly Care.” The program also evaluates hospitals on overall patient satisfaction, including a willingness to recommend the hospital to others, the release stated.
Last year 575 babies were delivered at Rome Memorial Hospital by the hospital’s obstetrician/gynecologists and midwives.