UnityPoint Health announced Trinity BirthPlace Moline has been recognized by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield with a Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) for Maternity Care designation, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.
Trinity BirthPlace Moline joins Trinity BirthPlace Bettendorf in receiving this designation.
The BDC+ program plays a key role in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) National Health Equity Strategy. It’s aimed at reducing racial health disparities across the care spectrum and improving patient outcomes for all Americans.
Based on data from the current designation cycle, facilities designated under the Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program demonstrate higher-quality care compared to non-Blue Distinction Center facilities, with overall average rates of 26% lower episiotomies, 60% fewer elective deliveries and 17% lower cesarean births – all of which point to healthier outcomes for patients. BDC+ designated facilities also exhibited an average savings of 21% for maternity care.
“Receiving national recognition for exceptional maternity care isn’t just a badge of honor; it’s a testament to our commitment to nurturing the journey of new life with compassion, expertise, and a dedication to fostering the health and happiness of parents and their little ones,” Sarah Turner, RN, Trinity Moline BirthPlace manager, said in a news release. “Our mission will always be to provide the best outcome for every patient, every time.”
Trinity BirthPlace Moline welcomes 900 babies each year. Its comprehensive services provide individualized care, support and education throughout pregnancy, delivery, recovery and the many stages of life.
The BDC+ program’s selection criteria was devised to close clinical care gaps and reduce inequities that persist throughout the maternal care spectrum. The selection criteria includes components of BCBSA’s Maternal Health Equity Actions that dismantle the cultural, operational and structural barriers that create inequities in maternal care, the release said.
To receive the designation, each applicant facility was evaluated on a combination of objective data on patient outcomes as well as the practices implemented to reduce racial disparities and improve maternal health outcomes. The practices include:
- Using evidence-based best practices to respond effectively to obstetric emergencies.
- Offering unconscious bias training.
- Participating in the regional Perinatal Quality Collaborative.
- Having doula support available on the maternity care team.
- Collecting race, ethnicity and language data.
- Having a program dedicated to quality improvements in maternal care.
- Running drills and simulations to prepare providers to deal with a range of obstetric emergencies.
- Demonstrating health outcomes that exceed the selection criteria from the program’s previous evaluation cycle.
Trinity Moline is proud to be recognized by Wellmark for meeting the rigorous quality selection criteria for maternity care set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.
Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find low-cost, quality specialty care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, cellular immunotherapy, fertility care, gene therapy, knee and hip replacement, maternity care, spine surgery, substance use treatment and recovery, and transplants, while encouraging health care professionals to improve the care they deliver.
For more information about the program and a complete listing of the designated providers, visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s website.
For more information on services offered at Trinity BirthPlace, visit unitypoint.org.
