ILPQC has officially launched the Illinois Birthing Hospital Quality Designation Program with funding from BCBSIL Special Beginnings® Program! This program will provide hospital teams with mini-grant funding up to $3,750 per year (for 2025 and 2026) and quality improvement support to help hospitals implement key strategies toward achieving designation criteria. Hospitals achieving designation criteria will receive statewide recognition with a Birth Quality Designation Award, which includes a monetary award of $10,000-$20,000 (for 2025 and 2026) towards your OB Department, for achieving Promoting Vaginal Birth and Birth Equity key strategies for sustainability and demonstrating reduction in NTSV cesarean disparities
To achieve quality designation, hospital teams will submit monthly sustainability data for Birth Equity / PVB on the following criteria:
- Participation with ILPQC
- Education of clinical team
- Engagement of patients and community partners to improve care
- Achievement of initiative aims and reduction of disparities in NTSV cesarean birth
