Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center and Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin have been designated “birthing-friendly” hospitals by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
To build on the White House’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, released in June 2022, CMS established the “Birthing-Friendly” hospital designation, which is a publicly-reported hospital designation on the quality and safety of maternity care. This is the first-ever hospital quality designation by HHS that specifically focuses on maternal health, in particular the need to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, especially among underserved populations.
To achieve the designation, hospitals participated in the Maternal Morbidity Structural Measure, which includes verification that the hospital participated in a national or statewide quality collaborative and implemented all recommended interventions.
“We are so proud of all our teams at Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center and Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin for implementing best practices to achieve the highest levels of patient care for all new mothers. This designation will help our community know that they can count on us for all of their childbirth needs — from preconception counseling, prenatal visits and childbirth classes to state-of-the-art Family Birth Centers and support for critically ill infants provided at Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital,” said Atrium Health Navicent Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrice Walker.
Atrium Health Navicent is committed to addressing Georgia’s high maternal mortality rate and giving all mothers and their babies the very best services so they can thrive. Georgia has the second-highest maternal mortality rate in the nation. Black women in Georgia are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women nationally, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Both hospitals offer family birth centers, C-section suites and childbirth classes to prepare expectant parents for the birthing experience and taking care of an infant. Nurses and lactation consultants at both locations are well versed in breastfeeding to help new moms through support and education. All mothers are provided with breastfeeding support services during their stay, tailored to fit their needs based on individualized assessments.
Atrium Health Navicent is also home to one of only a handful of maternal fetal medicine teams in the state, and is the only hospital in central Georgia to care for the highest-risk pregnancies. High-risk pregnancy care begins with preconception counseling and continues throughout pregnancy as a team of trained professionals manage any existing conditions and complications that may arise while offering detailed diagnostic testing and ultrasounds. Atrium Health Navicent, The Medical Center is also a regional perinatal center providing the most advanced care for high-risk mothers and their babies across 28 counties in the state of Georgia.
If a baby is born premature, Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital is home to a Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NNICU) equipped with state-of-the-art lifesaving equipment and board-certified neonatologists who deliver around-the-clock lifesaving newborn care. The NNICU provides babies with specialized care including breathing support, food and nutrition and temperature support and regulation. As the only dedicated pediatric facility in central and south Georgia, and one of the most comprehensive in the state, Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital provides care in general pediatrics, pediatric critical care, surgery, neonatal intensive care, surgery, diagnostics care and outpatient services. The hospital also serves as the primary teaching site for the Department of Pediatrics at the Mercer University School of Medicine.
For more information about the Family Birth Center at Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center, call (478) 633-9876. For more information about the Family Birth Center at Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin, call (478) 776-4000.