Rates of both maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity continue to rise. Racial and ethnic disparities exist, and Black non-Hispanic birthing people have rates of pregnancy related mortality that are three times higher than those who are non-Hispanic white. In order to improve outcomes and eliminate disparities perinatal professionals must develop evidenced based and well-designed quality improvement initiatives which address the equitable provision of care and that are targeted at the unique quality and safety issues identified at their site.
The Maryland Patient Safety Center, under their direction of their Director of Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality, offers a yearlong Perinatal Quality and Safety fellowship. The Fellowship will help participating individuals design, implement, evaluate, and disseminate a perinatal quality improvement project aimed at improving outcomes and reducing disparities at their site.
Over the course of a year, participating individuals will attend monthly group meetings and/or individual support sessions which support them in developing and implementing a perinatal quality improvement project on their unit and fostering a quality infrastructure on their unit designed to continue to sustain for improvement after the fellowship is complete and identify opportunities for improvement in the future.