Initiatives Overview
The Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB) is a multidisciplinary network made up of health professionals throughout the state. Its mission is to advance health care quality and patient safety for all Texas mothers and babies, primarily through the collaboration of health and community stakeholders in the development of joint quality improvement (QI) initiatives. Currently the collaborative is developing four major quality improvement interventions.
Current Initiatives
TCHMB is dedicated to helping to reduce and ultimately eliminate healthcare disparities. This workgroup is tasked with giving more specific attention to this area to ensure all projects, programs, or interventions that come out of TCHMB are created with a race equity lens in mind. This initiative is ongoing, and the workgroup is charged with identifying any tasks needed now or in the future that will improve and advance the race equity work and outcomes of TCHMB.
The Recognition and Response to Postpartum Preeclampsia in the Emergency Department project seeks to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality related to severe hypertension in postpartum patients by: identifying postpartum patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with severe hypertension or preeclampsia, treating patients identified with severe hypertension in a timely fashion, improving communication and coordination of care between Emergency Medicine and Obstetric health care teams, reducing complications from postpartum preeclampsia that led to maternal morbidity and mortality, and reducing racial disparities in health outcomes of Black postpartum patients with severe hypertension or preeclampsia. This project will be implemented through TCHMB’s partnership with the Regional Advisory Council (RAC) Perinatal Care Region (PCR) Alliance and will be coordinated with TexasAIM implementation of the Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Bundle. Hospital participation in this project will provide additional metrics to inform quality improvement. Learn more
The goal of the project is to implement evidence-based guidelines to increase the proportion of newborn infants with admission temperatures within normal limits. The broader goal is increase newborn health care quality and patient safety. The initiative will be supported through the Regional Advisory Council (RAC) Perinatal Care Region (PCR) Alliance. Hospital participation in this project will provide additional metrics to inform quality assurance and performance improvement programs to support levels of care designation. Learn more
Past Initiatives
The purpose of this learning collaborative was to increase the number of very low birth weight infants who will receive human milk, preferably their mother’s milk, as their primary source of nutrition to assist with their immune and gastrointestinal tract development. More specifically, this project was focused on helping participating hospitals identify and overcome barriers to establishing maternal milk supply and barriers to supporting breastfeeding in the NICU. Learn more
The Induction of Labor Quality Improvement Initiative sought to reduce failed induction of labor (IOL), and to improve the overall process surrounding IOL. More specifically, this project aimed to help participating hospitals improve the overall process surrounding IOL, and ultimately, reduce primary cesarean delivery. Learn more
The Maternal Early Warning System (MEWS) initiative seeks to implement a protocol into practice to facilitate timely recognition, diagnosis, and treatment for pregnant women developing critical illness, thus avoiding major morbidity and mortality. Essential components of an early warning system include: 1) maternal early warning criteria that prompts reporting to a clinician; and 2) an effective escalation process that prompts bedside evaluation by a clinician. Learn More
This project aimed to provide the necessary education, improve communication for women of reproductive age, and link them up to their desired services including contraception of choice, preconception care, well-woman services and other resources in the community. The project used the One Key Question® (OKQ) protocol designed by the Oregon Foundation for Reproductive Health (OFRH) as part of the project framework. Learn more
This project sought to improve access to care during the critical postpartum period. The specific aims were to document the experiences of underserved women when navigating the healthcare system after delivery and through the postpartum period; assess how state level programs are understood, utilized, and integrated by providers and by the local healthcare systems; and to develop recommendations to improve women’s experiences with accessing postpartum care. Learn more
TCHMB facilitated a two-day conference titled: “Obstetrical and Neonatal Care Coordination Related to Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy." Top clinical and social services experts from around the state worked to identify gaps, best practices, and opportunities within the current system. Read the Report. Read the Report
As part of the broader goal of increasing access to care for mothers and babies in Texas, the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies has developed a reference sheet to empower frontline workers in assisting low-income, uninsured women in Texas who may qualify for the main public healthcare coverage programs (Medicaid for Pregnant Women, CHIP-Perinatal, HTW and FPP). Learn more