Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas (PHD) and Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital (HMFW) are the only two hospitals in Texas participating in a major, new safety initiative to change how U.S. hospitals treat high-risk pregnancies.

Throughout the 21-month national collaborative, called the Premier Perinatal Safety Initiative, PHD and HMFW are among 16 of the country's leading hospitals working to redefine perinatal care and eliminate preventable birth injuries.

Ranked near the bottom of industrialized nations in infant mortality, the United States averages five deaths per 1,000 deliveries. Additionally, U.S. infants experience close to three birth injuries for every 1,000 births, many of which are preventable, experts say.

"Looking at national statistics on infant mortality and preventable birth injuries, we saw an opportunity to lead the nation in change," said Deb Maitre, director of women's and infants' services at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.  "Our hospital's participation in this initiative will ultimately provide higher standards of care for patients in North Texas and throughout the country."

With the goal of eliminating preventable birth-related injuries and deaths, PHD and HMFW have begun making changes in many areas by creating protocols for: nurse/ physician communication; timing protocols for cesarean births; perinatal documentation with electronic medical records and patient simulated drills with the Perinatal Rapid Response Team.

"We are implementing strategies to move women's healthcare away from a business mindset and more towards true healthcare," said Amy Hailey, director of the Center for Women and Infants Health at HMFW.  "In the past, there have been requests from both physicians and patients to schedule a c-section around what is most convenient for either the patient or physician. Both hospitals are creating cultures that are moving away from what is most convenient to what is best for the health of mom and baby."

About the Premier Perinatal Safety Initiative

Perinatal team members at PHD and HMFW will participate in patient simulated drills for certain high risk protocols. Data from participants will be collected and results measured against benchmarks from similar hospitals.

• Baptist Hospital East (Louisville, KY)
• Baystate Medical Center (Springfield, MA)
• Bethesda North Hospital (Cincinnati, OH)
• West Virginia United Health - East City Hospital (Martinsburg, WV)
• Good Samaritan Hospital (Cincinnati, OH)
• Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital (Forth Worth, TX)
• Indian Path Medical Center, Mountain States Health Alliance  (Kingsport, TN)
• John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital (Phoenix, AZ)
• Methodist Medical Center of Illinois (Peoria, IL)
• Presbyterian Hospital (Albuquerque, NM)
• Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas (Dallas, TX)
• St. Joseph Hospital (Bellingham, WA)
• Univ. of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview (Minneapolis, MN)
• Fairview Ridges Hospital (Burnsville, MN)
• West Allis Memorial Hospital, Aurora Health Care (West Allis, WI)