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Project Name: State Maternal Health Innovation Program (U7A)
Applicant Title: THE MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION, INC
Abstract Text: The Medical Foundation, Inc. dba Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) Foundation is a not-for-profit community health system dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of the people of Northeast Georgia. NGHS is anchored by Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC)’s four hospital campuses – NGMC Gainesville, NGMC Braselton, NGMC Barrow and NGMC Lumpkin – with a total of more than 700 beds and more than 1,200 medical staff members representing more than 50 specialties. NGMC aims to lead the implementation of the State Maternal Health Innovation & Data Capacity grant for the State of Georgia. The proposed project will impact over 2.1 million women of childbearing age throughout the state. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has emerged as the leading cause of maternal mortality in Georgia and other states through the nation. In particular, pregnancy-related death encompasses a spectrum of cardiac conditions with a preponderance of cardiomyopathy. According to the Commonwealth Fund’s report in December of 2020, Georgia has the second highest rate of maternal mortality in the United States of 48.4 per 100,000 live births. In a 2017 report by Georgia’s maternal mortality review, the areas of highest concern are inadequate screening and follow-up care of cardiovascular symptoms in pregnant women, and inadequate recognition and response to severe hypertension and hemorrhages. NGMC will develop a comprehensive Maternal Cardiac Program (MCP) with the purpose of decreasing by 10% the morbidity and mortality rates of pregnant and postpartum patients up to 1 year after delivery. NGMC will adopt the four (4) core functions outlined in the MHI grant requirements. 1. Establish a State-Focused Maternal Health Task Force. 2. Identify and collaborate with the multidisciplinary state-focused taskforce to collect, analyze, and report data on pregnancy-related mortality, Severe Maternal Morbidity (SMM), and/or other indicators of maternal to evaluate preventability, identify actionable recommendations, and improve systems of prenatal and maternity care services. 3. Improve the collection, reporting, and analysis of the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Data. 4. Promote and execute innovative evidence-informed interventions in Maternal Health Service Delivery at NGMC to address critical gaps in prenatal and maternity care services. NGHS will serve as a pilot site to evaluate effective strategies that can be replicated throughout the state and nationwide.