POMONA VALLEY HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER RECOGNIZED FOR SURPASSING CALIFORNIA TARGET TO REDUCE C-SECTION BIRTHS

Pomona, Calif. – May 2, 2022 – Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) has been awarded the Quality & Sustainability Award from the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC) for achieving a targetCesarean (C-section) birth rate for first-time mothers with low-risk pregnancies for three years in a row.

The CMQCC is an organization committed to ending preventable morbidity, mortality and racial disparities in California maternity care. The award is part of its Quality and Engagement Awards Program to recognize hospitals that go above and beyond to provide California’s mothers, birthing people, and their families with the best start to life.

C-sections are an important intervention for mothers and babies in life-threatening obstetric emergencies, however, those performed for non-medically indicated reasons have significant social, economic and health costs, including higher rates of complications and infections for mother and baby, longer recovery times, higher rates of neonatal intensive care unit admissions and increased barriers to the mother-infant breastfeeding relationship, according to the CMQCC.

“It is an honor and privilege for us to be recognized for our commitment to providing new mothers and their babies with high quality, evidence-based health care,” says M. Hellen Rodriguez, MD, Perinatologist and Medical Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at PVHMC. “Our team of physicians, obstetricians, nurses and administration are committed to ensuring that our patients and their families are informed of the immediate and long-term risks associated with having a primary C-section and can make educated decisions about their birthing plans.”

Cesarean births among low-risk, first-time mothers, also known as nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex (NTSV) births, have been the largest contributor to the recent rise in cesarean rates, and accounts for the greatest variation in cesarean rates between hospitals, according to the CMQCC.

For the calendar years 2019 and 2020, the target NTSV Cesarean Birth was 23.9%; for the calendar year 2021, the target NTSV Cesarean Birth was 23.6%. These target rates were set by Healthy People 2020 and Healthy People 2030, respectively. In 2021, PVHMC, one of California’s largest birthing centers, achieved an NTSV rate of 19.89 percent.

PVHMC is one of more than 200 California hospitals that are active CMQCC members that use its Maternal Data Center to track maternity care performance and identify perinatal quality improvement opportunities. Through research and education, CMQCC has helped California achieve one of the lowest overall maternal mortality rates in the country.

Learn more about the CMQCC here. Learn more about our Women’s & Children’s Center here.

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ABOUT PVHMC
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC), a nationally recognized and accredited 412-bed, not-for-profit community medical center and trauma center, proudly serves residents in eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino counties. PVHMC’s accolades include The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for advanced certification in inpatient diabetes care, palliative care, sepsis, perinatal care and total joint replacement. As the largest birthing hospital in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, PVHMC is honored to hold the prestigious Baby-Friendly designation. The Hospital is among the top 10% of all short-term acute care hospitals in the United States to receive the Healthgrades® Patient Safety Excellence Award and was named a Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit pvhmc.org.

About California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative

The California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC) is a multi-stakeholder organization committed to ending preventable morbidity, mortality and racial disparities in California maternity care. Working directly with over 200 member hospitals, CMQCC uses research, quality improvement toolkits, state-wide outreach collaboratives and its innovative Maternal Data Center to improve health outcomes for mothers, birthing people, and newborns.