By Journal Staff

NOVI — UP Health System -Marquette has been recognized for its maternity care on the state level, The Economic Alliance for Michigan, a nonprofit group comprised of Michigan’s largest employers and unions, announced the annual EAM Hospital Maternity Care Awards, recognizing hospitals throughout Michigan that have demonstrated excellence and improvement in maternity care and delivery outcomes.

Nine hospitals have earned an award for 2023. This marks the sixth year for the awards.

The awards are part of EAM’s Maternity Care Project. Created in 2018, the project goals are to decrease the state’s infant mortality rate, reduce the rate of unnecessary C-sections, and be an educational resource for new and expecting parents residing in Michigan.

Only 26 percent of the birthing centers measured in Michigan performed within the Leapfrog Group standard for unnecessary C-sections, which is 23.6 percent or less of low-risk deliveries. Unnecessary c-sections can increase the risk of hemorrhage, infection, blood clots and transfusions for the mother and increase the risk of respiratory complications, neonatal intensive care stays and infection for newborns, the EAM release states.

“The rates of unnecessary c-sections has risen in the state – there are hospitals with rates above forty percent. Unnecessary c-sections can cause complications for both the mother and baby which leads to higher health care costs, for not only the patient, but for employers who provide health care benefits,” EAM President and CEO Bret Jackson said..

According to the release, hospitals were evaluated in four areas: cesarean rates at 23.6% of low-risk deliveries, episiotomy rates at 5% of deliveries), elective early delivery rates at 5% of deliveries, and maternity care processes at 90% or greater.

The data is from the 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Survey performed by The Leapfrog Group, a Washington, D.C. based organization that works to improve health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers.

To be awarded the Excellence Award, hospitals need to fully meet the standard in all four areas in the same calendar year. Recipients of the 2023 Maternity Care Excellence Award are:

¯    Bronson Battle Creek Hospital

¯    Corewell Health Gerber Memorial in Fremont

¯    Corewell Health Lakeland Hospitals – St. Joseph Hospital

¯    Corewell Health Lakeland Hospitals – Niles Hospital

¯    Corewell Health Pennock Hospital in Hastings

¯    Corewell Health Greenville Hospital

¯    Corewell Health Zeeland Hospital

¯    Trinty Health Muskegon Hospital

For the Improvement Award, hospitals must have demonstrated rate decreases in cesarean rates, episiotomy, and elective early delivery over a two-year period, and must now fully meet the standard for unnecessary cesarean delivery rates. The recipient of the 2023 Maternity Care Improvement Award is:

¯    UP Health System – Marquette

The Maternity Care Project also provides details for birthing centers in Michigan, providing parents-to-be invaluable information in making a choice for hospital maternity care. To compare birthing centers and learn more about the project go to www.maternitycareproject.com.