Nationwide High Reliability Organization (HRO) patient safety initiative uniquely designed to improve labor & delivery (L&D) unit safety and reduce maternal mortality

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MEDNAX, Inc. (NYSE:MD) affiliate Obstetrix Medical Group (“Obstetrix”), one of the nation’s largest groups of maternal-fetal and obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) hospitalist providers, today announced that it has launched an HRO program across its national network of affiliated OB/GYN hospitalist practices. The program will help build a culture of safety in L&D units across the country and ensure successful implementation and sustainability of the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) patient safety bundles, which have been shown to greatly reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.

Women in the United States are more likely to die from childbirth or pregnancy-related causes than women from any other industrialized nation. Additionally, 60 percent of maternal deaths are considered preventable. The Obstetrix HRO program has been developed to combat these alarming statistics. A variety of methodologies and techniques form the foundation of HROs, including Six Sigma, TeamStepps (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety) and Crew Resource Management. This multifaceted approach in combination with the utilization of the evidence-based AIM bundles position the program for success.

The Obstetrix initiative will focus on the implementation of three patient safety bundles: maternal hemorrhage, hypertension and venous thromboembolism (VTE). Joint Commission-affiliated facilities must implement maternal hemorrhage and hypertension bundles by July 2020. Obstetrix expanded on these required bundles to include the VTE protocol given its potential health impact and ease of integration within the larger program framework. The life-threatening complication from blood clots accounts for nearly 10 percent of all maternal deaths.

“The ultimate goal of the HRO program is to shape a reliability culture that creates safety, and we accomplish this by empowering our leaders to create the change necessary to achieve highly reliable, safe and consistent care for our patients,” said Brian Gilpin, M.D., National Clinical Director, OB Hospitalist. “The HRO principles enhance the efficiency of the AIM bundles, and by arming our providers with a variety of cutting-edge tools, we increase the likelihood for long-term success. MEDNAX has made great strides with this program in its affiliated anesthesia practices, and we look forward to delivering this innovative solution to our Obstetrix hospital partners for improved maternal care.”

For more information, please contact Dr. Gilpin.

ABOUT MEDNAX

MEDNAX, Inc. is a national health solutions partner comprised of the nation's leading providers of physician services. Physicians and advanced practitioners practicing as part of MEDNAX are reshaping the delivery of care within their specialties and subspecialties, using evidence-based tools, continuous quality initiatives, consulting services, clinical research and telemedicine to enhance patient outcomes and provide high-quality, cost-effective care. The Company was founded in 1979, and today, through its affiliated professional corporations, MEDNAX provides services through a network of more than 4,325 physicians in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Additional information is available at www.mednax.com.

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Jennifer Gutierrez
954.384.0175 ext. 5684
jennifer_gutierrez@mednax.com

Source: MEDNAX, Inc.