Marin General Hospital Receives BETA Healthcare Group OB Award of Excellence Two Years in A Row for Quality Obstetrical Practices
Insurance Rebate Earned for Achieving 100% Compliance in Obstetrical Practices
GREENBRAE, CA — BETA Healthcare Group (BHG), the largest writer of hospital professional liability coverage in the state and the hospital’s malpractice insurer, has awarded Marin General Hospital the BETA Award of Excellence for the second consecutive year. Marin General Hospital was one of only five California hospitals selected to make a presentation at the annual conference in San Diego last week at which time the award was presented.
BHG created the “Quest for Zero” initiative as part of its focus on improving reliability and reducing risk in obstetrics. The three-year program, which started in 2011, promotes best practices in care delivery to moms and babies to eliminate preventable birth injuries, and includes premium discount incentives that reward results. Awards are given to hospitals that demonstrate 100% compliance with all elements of the OB initiative.
According to Anne Lupus, MSN, CNL, RN director of Marin General Hospital's Women and Children’s Services, this year’s award was based on a survey of the hospital’s practices and procedures with regard to elective inductions and safe use of medications. The hospital also was evaluated on its multi-disciplinary fetal monitoring strip review which measures the baby’s heart rate and the mother’s contractions.
“BETA particularly liked our Induction Safety Program,” says Ms. Lupus. “We make sure that unless there is a medical reason, our moms don’t deliver before 39 weeks — not 38 or even 38.6 weeks. The entire team of providers and nurses are empowered to ask if an induction is medically indicated and collaborate on the plan of care. Because Marin General Hospital has 24-hour hospitalists available for deliveries, there’s no incentive for early delivery based on physician convenience,” she adds.
Ms. Lupus says BHG also liked the hospital’s use of a checklist to ensure safety: standardization of all medication to eliminate confusion about dosages; use of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) nomenclature for the interpretation of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring by physicians and nurses, including in the medical record documentation; evidence of fetal heart rate monitoring interpretation competency by all staff; and collaboration between physicians and nurses as evidenced by at least monthly multidisciplinary fetal monitor strip reviews. One of the key requirements for physicians, Labor and Delivery (L&D) staff nurses and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) to obtain or retain OB privileges at Marin General Hospital is to successfully complete an AWHONN or ACOG endorsed class that includes current NICHD nomenclature.
Also as part of the BETA initiative, every provider or nurse at Marin General Hospitalis required to take a competency-based 10-12 hour online course.
“During the course an individual’s particular knowledge gaps are identified, and individual perinatal curriculum are offered to address these topics,” says Goni Naidoo, MSN, BSN, BMID, RN, Vice President of Nursing Services at Marin General Hospital. “For example, if you missed a question in the medication section, the curriculum would address that specifically.”
“The point of these critical requirements is that everyone who touches the patient needs to speak the same language and have the same understanding of procedures and best practices in order to prevent errors,”
“Instead of just providing insurance, BGH offers risk reduction strategies that improve safety while lowering premiums,” says Joan McCready, BSN, RN, Director, Quality Management Services. “Marin General Hospital earned a 9% reduction in premiums, which is significant. But the real payoff is educating the staff to make deliveries safer for mothers and their babies.
“As a result of these and other efforts, Marin GeneraHospital has a very safe Labor and Delivery program. We have been able to keep our non-medically indicated induction rate very low and have reduced our primary C-section rate to well under the national average. Our success rate for vaginal births after C-section (VBAC) is one the highest in the Bay Area. We’re really proud of the strides we’ve made to ensure that our hospital is the best possible option for families that choose our Birth Center.”
About Beta Healthcare
BETA is the largest writer of hospital professional liability coverage in the state, serving more than 100 county, district and nonprofit hospitals and healthcare facilities. BHG also insures 45 medical groups through its risk retention group, HealthPro. BETA Healthcare Group has offered a premium renewal credit in OB Safety for the last two years. To learn more about BETA Healthcare Group please visit www.betahg.com.
