40 Weeks = Chubby Cheeks, Healthier Babies

North Oaks has joined with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals(DHH), the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and individual hospitals in the Louisiana Birth Outcomes Project in the effort to decrease infant deaths and complication rates. One goal of the project is to eliminate elective deliveries at 37-39 weeks of pregnancy. We successfully reached this project goal in December 2011, and are approaching 250 days without a single elective, non-medically necessary delivery. Research supports that babies who are carried to the full 40 weeks of pregnancy are healthier and have less health risks than those who are delivered earlier.

The IHI recently recognized us as a service standard for Louisiana, being the first Louisiana hospital to achieve a ranking of “4 out of 5” from the IHI for progress in implementing initiatives to decrease infant deaths and complications. Members of the North Oaks Perinatal Team have shared the keys to their success with hospitals nationwide via webinars sponsored by IHI. Last year, the Louisiana DHH presented North Oaks Medical Center with a Pioneer Award as one of the first hospitals to enroll in the Louisiana Birth Outcomes Project.