CHICAGO – The
rate of early elective deliveries, babies delivered too early for
non-medical reasons, in Illinois has been reduced to 2% for 2014,
according to the Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH). This is down
from a rate of more than 24% in 2010, as reported by hospitals
participating in the Leapfrog Group’s annual Hospital Survey.
Through the support of a three-year grant, provided
by the National Business Coalition on Health, United Health Foundation
and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, MBGH led a collaborative of
diverse health care stakeholders and coordinated efforts that resulted
in over 70% of Illinois hospitals reducing the number of unnecessary
C-sections and inductions. The collaborative was comprised of Chicago
and Illinois hospitals, health plans, purchasers, community
organizations, patients and other key stakeholders.
Having a baby prior to
full-term for a non-medical reasons, such as accommodating the
convenience of the doctor or patient request, can result in long-term
health issues and a cost burden that can include NICU admissions, longer
hospital stays. Recent studies indicate that the brain and lungs are
still developing in the last few weeks of pregnancy and delivering prior
to 39 weeks can negatively impact their growth.
“This is the first public
health problem we’ve actually been able to solve in my 40+ years in
health care,” said Larry Boress, MBGH president and CEO. “We’ve shown
that by coordinating efforts across all health care stakeholders, we can
fill gaps in care and improve the overall health of targeted
populations. It’s a template for other communities and health
conditions.”
MBGH used data from Leapfrog
reporting hospitals and the state health department to identify the
issues and collaborated with multiple groups, including the March of
Dimes, Illinois Hospital Association, the Chicago and Illinois
Departments of Public Health, Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative,
EverThrive Illinois, America’s Health Insurance Plans, Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Illinois, Cigna, Humana, CBS2 Chicago, NBC5 Chicago, Midwest
Employee Benefit Funds Coalition, and many other business and consumer
groups to address clinical, data, policy, benefit and educational
challenges.
“We salute MBGH as a
national model for how we can change health care for the better,” said
Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We’re proud they
used Leapfrog reporting to show where these unnecessary deliveries were
happening, which in turn galvanized an extraordinary community
partnership. Today there are thousands fewer babies suffering in NICUs
in Illinois thanks to this inspiring leadership.”
Educational materials for
consumers and employers can be found on MBGH’s Take Control of Your
Health website. Rates of early elective deliveries by hospital, as well
as statewide averages, are publicly available on the Leapfrog Group’s
website, www.LeapfrogGroup.org/TooEarlyDeliveries.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large
employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national
nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the
quality and safety of American health care.
About the Midwest Business Group on Health
With more than 120 member
organizations, the Midwest Business Group on Health is one of the
nation’s leading non-profit business groups of large, self-insured
public and private employers serving as a catalyst for community
initiatives to improve the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of the
healthcare delivery system. MBGH is an essential resource to support
employers in effectively managing their health benefits through
high-quality education, research, networking and benchmarking. MBGH is a
founding member of the National Business Coalition on Health.
For further information about this release and MBGH, contact: Cary Conway, Media Consultant