Representatives from Erlanger Health System recently collaborated with other Tennesseans on ways to reduce infant mortality and morbidity at the second annual meeting of the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care.

Over 170 physicians, nurses, community advocates, payers, hospital administrators, government leaders, and families from Tennessee met in Nashville on March 5 and 6 to learn about quality improvement methods for reducing infant mortality and morbidity. Tennessee currently ranks 48th in infant mortality and 45th in the nation for prematurity.

Neonatologists attending the meeting as representatives of the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger were Dr. Woods Blake, Dr. Sonya Collins, and Dr. Lisa Lowery-Smith. Representatives from Erlanger Health System included Theresa McClure, director of Women’s Services, and Ann Everson, RN, Regional Perinatal Coordinator.

At the meeting, the five regional perinatal centers in Tennessee launched the group’s first statewide project: a study of NICU admission temperatures. “It is difficult to keep very low birth weight infants warm in the delivery room immediately after their birth,” Dr. Blake explained. “Through collaboration with other centers participating in TIPQC, T.C.Thompson Children's Hospital and Erlanger will be developing and improving methods to maintain a normal temperature.”

The NICU community also plans to develop, pilot and implement a 2010 state-wide project to increase the rate of breastfeeding by mothers of NICU babies.

Nationally known quality improvement educator, Dr. Dan Ellsbury, of Iowa, led multiple workshops for attendees. The obstetrical community also voted on its first state project, which will focus on a breastfeeding awareness campaign targeted at pregnant woman. Plans are underway to pilot and develop a 2010 project on reducing elective deliveries before 39 weeks.

The Volunteer State received a grade of “F” on the March of Dimes annual report card, based on the preterm birth rate of 14.7% per 1000 births—nearly twice the rate of the Healthy People 2010 objective of 7.6%. Moreover, the state’s preterm birth rate increased by 13% from 1995 to 2005.

With these quality improvement initiatives under way, Tennessee will lead the nation as one of only a few state collaboratives organized around perinatal quality improvement. Paul Miles, MD, senior vice president for Maintenance of Certification and Quality with the American Board of Pediatrics, said, “Tennessee is a leader in developing and initiating perinatal state-wide collaboratives.”

According to Dr. Peter Grubb, TIPQC medical director, "It is tremendous to see this diverse group of exceptionally talented people from across the state come together to work on improving outcomes for the mothers and babies of Tennessee."

The Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care, funded by a grant from the Governor’s Office of Children’s Care Coordination, was officially launched in October 2008 with a goal of engaging providers across the perinatal spectrum in statewide, evidence-based and data-driven quality improvement projects.