Have you ever wondered how a perinatal quality collaborative guides, informs and improves their work? Every day, the VNPC utilizes resources and information from a number of reputable and evidence-backed sources, many of which we consider our partners. Our programs, initiatives, and partnerships would not be possible if it were not for the wealth of online sources such as those listed below. We invite you to take a look through 15 of our most-used resources in our work as Virginia’s perinatal quality collaborative.
1. Guttmacher Institute | Good reproductive health policy starts with credible research
The Guttmacher Institute is a research and policy institute that provides a platform for sexual and reproductive health research, policy, education, advocacy and data. This resource is beneficial to the work of the VNPC in providing evidence-based information to inform program development and shed light on relevant and important topics in maternal health.
2. Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant | MCHB (hrsa.gov)
The Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant supports states in providing a range of health services for maternal, infant and child populations. This website is useful to the VNPC as a reference for state-specific initiatives, data and performance measures, grant impact and allocations.
3. HEAR HER Campaign | HEAR HER Campaign | CDC
The VNPC recognizes the CDC’s Hear Her campaign as a crucial effort in raising awareness about maternal health warning signs to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. This campaign has been useful in the VNPC’s work as a source of educational materials, personal stories, and resources on promoting effective communication and timely intervention in maternal healthcare.
4. POST-BIRTH Warning Signs Education Program – AWHONN
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) website section on the Post-Birth Warning Signs Education Program provides an overview of how this program educates families and clinicians about the warning signs of postpartum complications. The VNPC values this site as a source of educational materials and training tools that may be dispersed or implemented to improve maternal health by facilitating the early detection and response to conditions that can lead to severe health issues or maternal mortality.
5. Supporting state and territorial health agencies | ASTHO
The VNPC values the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) website as a reference due to ASTHO’s role in supporting public health policies and programs at the state and territorial level, as well as the site’s wealth of resources, data, and best practices for health officials in addressing critical issues such as maternal and infant mortality, access to prenatal and postnatal care, etc. The website offers extensive information on ongoing initiatives, collaborations, and even policy recommendations.
6. CityMatCH – The National Organization of Urban MCH Leaders
The CityMatCH website supports urban maternal and child health (MCH) programs by providing a platform for resources, research, and public health tools for collaboratively addressing health disparities and improving health outcomes in urban communities with evidence-based practices. The VNPC values CityMatCH’s website for its wealth of resources and information, which serves to inform and improve our own work in Virginia.
7. The National Institute for Children’s Health Quality | NICHQ Homepage
The National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) website is a key resource for the VNPC. NICHQ has a focus on collaborative projects that address critical issues in infant health; through their training offerings, data-driven strategies, and best practices, the website supports efforts to implement evidence-based improvements in care.
8. The National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (NNPQC)
The NNPQC website is a hub for resources, data, and best practices to improve perinatal care and outcomes that are all useful to the work of state-based perinatal quality collaboratives (PQCs) such as the VNPC. The NNPQC supports initiatives that address critical issues in maternal and infant health, such as reducing preterm births and promoting health equity; the VNPC values the NNPQC’s offerings which range from data-driven strategies to toolkits and educational materials.
The CDC’s ERASE MM (Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality) website serves to provide resources and data to support state and local maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) in identifying causes of maternal deaths and developing actionable recommendations. The VNPC utilizes CDC’s ERASE MM website for its useful guidelines, best practices, and toolkits. The website is also useful for our VNPC Senior Director who has a role in the Virgina MMRT.
10. Health in Rural America | NIH News in Health
The VNPC utilizes the NIH News in Health website’s article on “Health in Rural America” for its information on the unique challenges and disparities faced by rural populations. Given Virginia’s number of rural communities and the VNPC’s commitment to advocacy and evidence-based interventions, it is important for the VNPC to be aware of community-specific issues such as limited healthcare access and socioeconomic barriers
11. Maternal-Health-Blueprint.pdf (whitehouse.gov)
The White House’s “Maternal Health Blueprint” document is a useful reference for the VNPC. The document outlines the current administration’s strategy to address maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States and includes a roadmap for collaborative initiatives by federal agencies, state and local governments, healthcare providers, and community organizations.
The SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) “Maternal Mental Health Strategy” document provides a strategy for supporting the mental well-being of pregnant and postpartum individuals. The VNPC’s work, especially the VNPC’s project EMBRACE, is informed by this document’s resources in improving screening, prevention, and treatment of maternal mental health disorders.
13. SAMHSA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
One of the VNPC’s efforts is the Eliminating Bias in the Dyad Care (EBDC) project, which is informed in part by information provided by SAMHSA. The SAMHSA website provides information, evidence-based practices, and training for providers in providing screening, intervention, and support services for substance use disorders in pregnant and parenting people, as well as infants exposed to substances. Addressing mental health and substance use disorders is a dual interest of the VNPC, which makes SAMHSA an invaluable resource in the VNPC’s work moving forward.
14. Innovation Hub MCH Innovations Database – AMCHP
The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) website’s Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Innovations Database aids the VNPC by detailing the innovative programs and initiatives across the United States. The VNPC takes inspiration from the successful interventions, best practices, knowledge-sharing and collaboration highlighted in AMCHP’s MCH Innovations Database
15. Patient Safety Bundles For Safer Birth | AIM
AIM’s Patient Safety Bundles for Safer Birth provide the VNPC with evidence-based guidelines and resources to inform our work in improving the safety and quality of maternity care. The VNPC works to implement select bundles, which all offer actionable recommendations and best practices for healthcare providers to improve care in ways such as reducing maternal and neonatal complications during childbirth.