As the region’s health leader, Bayhealth is proud to announce Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware has recognized Bayhealth Hospital, Kent and Sussex Campuses as Blue Distinction® Centers (BDC) for Maternity Care, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facilities that show a commitment to delivering high-quality patient care safely and demonstrate better health outcomes, based on objective measures developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations.
Racial and ethnic disparities are persistent and widespread across maternal healthcare, primarily due to socioeconomic status, geographic location and implicit provider bias. To help address these gaps in care and ensure better maternal health, The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association enhanced its quality evaluation for the Maternity Care program in 2020. The Maternity Care program was also expanded beyond traditional outcome measures to include assessments of internal quality improvement, data collection and dissemination, and internal protocols that better address clinical quality and equity issues in maternity care. In the evaluation cycle, facilities must now collect race ethnicity data, have a maternal quality improvement program, commence drills and simulations for adverse events, and have dedicated protocols and procedures for the management of hypertension and hemorrhage. In addition, they must meet clinical outcome metrics at a higher standard than required previously.
“We’re proud to be recognized by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware for meeting the rigorous Blue Distinction Center quality selection criteria for maternity care set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. This recognition is a testament to our drive and commitment to provide safer, higher-quality care to all of the mothers in the communities we serve,” said Bayhealth Senior Director of Women’s and Children’s Services Cheryl Hewlett, PhD, MBA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC.
Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality specialty care in several areas including cardiac care, bariatric surgery, knee and hip replacement, and maternity care, to name a few.
