St. Peter’s Hospital Receives National Distinction for Maternity Care

St. Peter’s Hospital has been designated a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care by BlueShield of Northeastern New York, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.

The Women’s and Children’s Center at St. Peter’s Hospital, an affiliate of St. Peter’s Health Partners (SPHP), has been named a Blue Distinction Center (BDC) for Maternity Care by BlueShield of Northeastern New York, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care Program.

Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated providers that show expertise in delivering improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures developed with input from the medical community locally and nationally, as well as leading accreditation and quality organizations.

“I am so very proud of our amazing maternity services team, because it is their hard work, expertise, and a commitment to high quality care and patient safety that allowed us to earn this prestigious Blue Distinction Center designation,” said Sandra Michael, BSN, SNT, MST, CLC, CBC, RN-BC, director for Women’s & Children’s Services, Acute Care, at SPHP. “This distinction is the latest honor recognizing St. Peter’s Hospital for its outstanding performance in caring for women and their newborns. This culture of excellence is a direct reflection of the dedication, compassion, and clinical skill of our talented physicians, nurses, and colleagues.”

The Women’s & Children’s Center at St. Peter’s Hospital was evaluated for both vaginal and cesarean section deliveries, and demonstrated better overall patient satisfaction than at other hospitals. Any maternity facility qualifying for this distinction must achieve a number of rigorous standards. Among them are:

  • Have 5 percent or fewer patients having early elective deliveries
  • Have a 24.7 percent or lower rate of caesarean section births
  • Hold drills or simulations for serious maternal adverse events
  • Have an internal quality improvement program to assess maternity care
  • Be fully accredited by at least one national accreditation organization
  • Have an established system to accurately document self-identified race, ethnicity and primary language

“The providers, nurses and staff at The Women’s & Children’s Center at St. Peter’s Hospital are dedicated to providing highly skilled and compassionate care to our patients,” said Mike Finegan, president of acute care for St. Peter’s Health Partners. “This latest accolade as a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity is a reflection of their immense talent and commitment to attaining the highest standards in patient care. We are exceptionally proud of our clinical teams.”

St. Peter’s Hospital’s recognition as a BDC is a result of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Provider Survey for cases performed between January 1, 2019-December 31, 2019. For more information about the Blue Distinction Specialty Care Programs and the requirements for becoming a designated center, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.

The Women’s & Children’s Center at St. Peter’s Hospital

Aside from the BDC distinction, St. Peter’s Hospital has earned national designations that demonstrate its commitment to high-quality care. It has received Magnet Recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for excellence in nursing; and UNICEF’s Baby-Friendly designation recognizes for its focus on bonding and breastfeeding.

St. Peter’s Hospital offers patient-centered care that allows you to birth your baby in a warm and home-like atmosphere with the comfort of knowing you and your baby will cared for by board-certified obstetricians or midwives, whichever you choose. Our board-certified maternal-fetal medicine specialists are highly trained to deal with high-risk pregnancies as well.

St. Peter’s Hospital also has a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for babies born premature or critically ill, staffed 24/7 by neonatologists, neonatal nurses and respiratory therapists.

To learn more about maternity care at St. Peter’s Health Partners, visit https://www.sphp.com/location/womens-and-childrens-center-at-st-peters-hospital

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