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Birth Equity (BE)

In 2021, the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC) launched the statewide obstetric quality improvement initiative, Birth Equity (BE). This is an important statewide quality improvement initiative selected by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Statewide Quality Council (SQC) and Perinatal Advisory Committee to engage hospital teams to implement strategies to address maternal health disparities and promote birth equity. Birth equity is the assurance of the conditions of optimal births for all people with a willingness to address racial and social inequities in a sustained effort.

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3x

Non-Hispanic Black women are about 3 times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to die during or within a year of pregnancy from a related complication.

2-3x

Compared to non-Hispanic white women, all other racial and ethnic groups have higher rates of severe complications during pregnancy and in the year postpartum.

Key Opportunities:

1. Implementation of universal social determinants of health screening prenatally and during delivery admission with linkage to appropriate resources and services

2. Review maternal health quality data stratified by race, ethnicity and Medicaid status to identify disparities and address opportunities for improvement

3. Take steps to engage patients and/or community members to provide input on QI efforts

4. Implement a strategy for sharing expected respectful care practices during delivery admission; and survey patients before discharge on their care experience (using the PREM tool) to provide feedback

5. Standardize system to provide patient education prior to hospital discharge on postpartum safety including urgent maternal warning signs and tools to improve communication with providers

6.Implement education for providers and staff on the importance of listening to patients, providing respectful care and addressing implicit bias and provide opportunities for discussion and feedback

View Birth Equity Fact Sheet

Resources

Our goal is to keep you informed and equipped with evidence-based resources that advance maternal and infant health. We invite you to explore our updates and share in the work of improving outcomes for all families.

Stay engaged. Stay informed. Together, we make care better.

Webinars and Resources
Birth Equity Clinical Leadership
  • Ann Borders
  • Barrett Robinson
  • Daniell Ashford
  • Emily White VanGompel
  • Jamila Pleas
  • Kai Tao
  • Robin Jones