2025 ALPQC Annual Perinatal Health Summit
HIGHLIGHTS
This quarter, we came together for our 2025 ALPQC Perinatal Health Summit. A two-day event on connection, learning, and networking. From powerful keynote sessions to our exhibitions, the Summit celebrated our shared commitment to improving maternal and child health across the state.
The ALPQC extends our heartfelt thanks to the 35 hospitals that participated in our Obstetric Hemorrhage Initiative and the 24 that participated in our Neonatal Hypothermia Prevention Initiative. For their dedication to improving maternal and neonatal outcomes in Alabama, all participants received a Certificate of Participation.
During the 2025 ALPQC Summit, hospitals that submitted 90% or more of their monthly data reports were awarded a Certificate of Excellence. Data drives change, and we couldn’t do it without you.
Looking Ahead:
Promoting Vaginal Births
Building on the momentum of our previous bundle, the ALPQC is excited to announce our next statewide OB initiative: “Promoting Vaginal Births (PVB).” This focus is critical, as Alabama’s overall C-section rate of 34.2% and its low-risk NTSV C-section rate of 28.3% both exceed national averages.
Preventing avoidable C-sections is one of the most effective ways to reduce complications for both mothers and babies, such as hemorrhage, infection, and breathing problems for newborns. Drawing on lessons from successful programs like the one in Iowa, we are setting a SMART goal to safely reduce the rate of primary C-sections by 20% by June 2027.
Our journey to enhance maternal care continues with this new focus, which will begin in January 2026. We are confident that by working together, we can make childbirth safer for every mother and baby in Alabama.
Obstetric Initiatives
Since its launch in January 2024, the ALPQC Obstetric Hemorrhage Initiative has made significant strides in improving maternal health outcomes. This initiative was aimed at reducing SMM among patients who experience an obstetric hemorrhage by increasing the percentage of patients who receive a risk assessment, increasing the percentage of deliveries performed using QBL techniques, and increasing the percentage of patients who receive a verbal debrief of the hemorrhage event prior to being discharged.
Thanks to the efforts of all 35 participating hospitals, we have made outstanding progress throughout this initiative. The chart below highlights some of the successes achieved since our baseline data collection from October – December 2023.
During the active phase of the initiative, hospitals completed a total of 442 1-on-1 calls with the ALPQC QI-RN and 20 Action Period Calls, as well as a webinar series on topics including Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE), caring for patients who decline blood products, and maternal cardiovascular conditions.
The sustainability phase of the Obstetric Hemorrhage Initiative will begin with data reported for July 2025 and continue through June 2026. Data surveys will continue to be emailed monthly and will contain fewer metrics to report.