PHOTO PROVIDED From left: Tina Foster, professional staff nurse, UPMC Magee-Womens Birthplace in Wellsboro and Khara Martin, unit director, UPMC Magee-Womens Birthplace in Wellsboro.

WILLIAMSPORT — UPMC Magee-Womens facilities in Williamsport and Wellsboro have each received a Gold Designation from the Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative (PA PQC) in recognition of their outstanding work to improve care related to maternal sepsis.

The Gold Designation is the highest level of recognition awarded by the PA PQC and reflects a hospital’s commitment to advancing maternal and newborn care through data-driven, patient-centered and team-based quality improvement initiatives.

“At UPMC, we prioritize inclusive, patient-centered care — ensuring birthing parents and their support systems are actively involved in every step of the journey,” said Brenda Terry-Manchester, director, UPMC Magee-Womens in North Central Pa. “The advancement of UPMC Williamsport from Silver Designation in 2024 to Gold this year, alongside the recognition of UPMC Wellsboro, reflects not only the strength of our maternal health program but the unwavering commitment of our physicians, certified nurse midwives, nurses and staff. Their dedication to excellence and continuous improvement is raising the standard for maternal care across our region.”

Hospitals receiving this honor have demonstrated measurable progress toward population-specific health goals by engaging multidisciplinary teams, integrating patient voices into care planning, and sharing best practices across their facilities and communities.

The PA PQC works with birthing hospitals across the Commonwealth to improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum patients and their newborns. The Gold Designation showcases the leadership of UPMC Magee-Womens in advancing maternal health standards in north central Pennsylvania.

Designation awards and levels are based on meeting quality improvement milestone criteria over a 12-month period, starting from April 2024 to March 2025.

In Pennsylvania, perinatal health issues persist, including racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes, higher than average maternal sepsis rates and drug overdose deaths during pregnancy and postpartum. The PA PQC addresses these challenges through various initiatives, including Maternal Opioid Use Disorder, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Maternal Sepsis and Safe Sleep. Through collaborative efforts, the PA PQC aims to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes across the state.

“We are proud to recognize the hospitals across Pennsylvania that are leading the way in improving maternal and newborn outcomes in childbirth,” said Karen Wolk Feinstein, Ph.D., president and CEO, Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF). “Their commitment to quality improvement and patient-centered care is helping to address some of the most pressing challenges in maternal health. These designations reflect meaningful progress toward safer care for all families in the Commonwealth.”

The PA PQC is administered by the JHF and WHAMglobal, and it is affiliated with the Northeast PQC (NEPaPQC).

To learn more about UPMC Magee-Womens services in northcentral Pa., go to UPMC.com/WomensHealthNCPA.