LCMC HEALTH HOSPITALS RECOGNIZED FOR MATERNAL SAFETY EXCELLENCE IN STATEWIDE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT INITIATIVE

All LCMC Health emergency departments honored by the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC) for enhancing readiness, recognition and response to obstetric emergencies 

LCMC Health is proud to announce that all their hospital and free-standing emergency departments (ED) have been officially recognized for their successful participation in the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative’s (LaPQC) Obstetric Readiness in Emergency Departments (ORED) Initiative for 2025. This comprehensive achievement reflects LCMC Health’s system-wide commitment to eliminating healthcare disparities, improving maternal health outcomes and ensuring every emergency facility is fully equipped to handle obstetric and postpartum crises. 

The ORED initiative addresses a critical gap in maternal healthcare by ensuring that not only birthing hospitals but also non-birthing facilities and general EDs are prepared to immediately recognize and treat obstetric emergencies, such as severe hypertension, preeclampsia, obstetric sepsis and hemorrhage. Participation demonstrates a hospital’s dedication to strengthening maternal health systems and reducing preventable maternal morbidity and mortality. (This recognition reflects our commitment to improving the quality and safety of maternal care by ensuring all emergency departments are prepared to respond to obstetric emergencies using evidence-based practices that support safe birth outcomes.) 

“At LCMC Health, providing extraordinary care means anticipating our patients’ needs at their most vulnerable moments and making that care accessible,” said Dr. John Heaton, Chief Medical Officer for LCMC Health. “Understanding that maternal emergencies don’t only happen in labor and delivery units, we’ve ensured all our EDs are prepared to help mothers so that they don’t have to travel further than necessary. By aligning our facilities with LaPQC’s guidelines for obstetric readiness, we are guaranteeing that any pregnant or postpartum patient who walks through our doors receives rapid, evidence-based care.”  

To achieve this recognition, LCMC Health emergency departments implemented rigorous protocols, including:  

• Implementing system-wide simulation drills and advanced obstetric emergency training for ED physicians, nurses and triage staff. 

• Deploying updated screening and clinical tools to immediately identify pregnancy- and postpartum-related complications 

• Integrating perinatal mental health screenings and immediate referral pathways to address critical postpartum mental health needs 

• Aligning care with the LaPQC’s primary drivers of respectful patient partnership and data equity to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in maternal outcomes 

The LaPQC, an initiative of the Louisiana Department of Health’s Bureau of Family Health, works closely with healthcare facilities across the state to continuously improve the quality of care and health outcomes for mothers and infants. Participation in these initiatives is a vital component of lessening Louisiana’s pregnancy-associated mortality rates by standardizing readiness and response.  

For more information about LCMC Health’s maternal health services and its commitment to community-wide clinical excellence, please visit LCMCHealth.org.