HHS Encourages Hospitals Implement Maternity Safety Best Practices

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this week encouraged hospitals to implement evidence-based patient safety practices for managing obstetric emergencies along with interventions to address other key contributors to maternal health disparities. The announcement by CMS follows last week’s first White House Maternal Health Day of Action, commemorated by Vice President Kamala Harris.

In support of delivering equitable, high-quality maternity care, CMS encourages hospitals to review their policies and procedures for incorporation, where appropriate, of best practices. One such practice for improving patient safety and quality of care has been “maternal safety bundles” for use in cases of obstetric hemorrhage, severe hypertension in pregnancy, and non-medically indicated Cesarean deliveries. Bundles have also been associated with narrowing the racial disparity gap in certain perinatal outcomes.

Additional information from HHS is available here.