Women and Infants Center awarded Perinatal Care Certification

The Women and Infants Center at HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Breese has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Perinatal Care Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. 

The certification recognizes HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital’s efforts to achieve integrated, coordinated, patient-centered care for clinically uncomplicated pregnancies and births. The certification uses standards, guidelines and The Joint Commission’s perinatal care core performance measures for managing and monitoring aspects of perinatal care that are critical to improving and maintaining the health of newborns and their mothers. 

HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital is one of three hospitals in the state of Illinois (the other two hospitals located in Arlington Heights and Chicago) to have achieved The Joint Commission’s Perinatal Care Certification.

St. Joseph’s Women and Infants Center underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review on July 28-29, 2022. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards, meeting and exceeding strict standards of care of maternal, fetal, and newborn health. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“Perinatal Care Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend St. Joseph’s Hospital for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for newborns and their mothers.”

Dr. Anne Doll-Pollard, St. Joseph’s medical staff chair of obstetrics, nursery, and pediatrics, shared, what this certification means to those who deliver at HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital. “Pursuing this Joint Commission Perinatal Care Certification demonstrates the commitment that the St. Joseph’s Women and Infants Center physicians and nurses have to collaboratively provide consistently high-quality safe care for mothers and their infants,” she said. “We have best practice protocols and processes in place for all kinds of deliveries so mothers can be sure they and their babies are in good hands at St. Joseph’s.”

St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Women and Infants Center provides quality care to pregnant women and their families throughout the birthing process. The Women and Infant Center has a variety of safe pain control options for mothers-to-be, as well as highly trained, compassionate nurses to help laboring mothers with relaxation techniques and pain relief. 

Additionally, when special situations arise where more advanced care is needed, St. Joseph’s Women and Infants Center has neonatal nurse practitioners onsite with special training in resuscitation and care of high-risk infants. St. Joseph’s also partners with expert perinatologists at pediatric hospitals to offer specialized pediatric care 24/7 for infants needing extra care in the intermediate care nursery.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have received this certification from The Joint Commission,” said Serra Morton, RN, MSN, director of the Women and Infants Center. “This demonstrates this team’s commitment to meeting the needs of mothers and their newborns, right here in our community. I am so proud to be a part of a team often recognized by patients for their quality care, and this certification officially gives them the recognition they deserve for all they do for their patients.”

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website. 

Photo Caption: Staff from the HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Breese Women and Infants Center celebrate receiving The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Perinatal Care Certification. Front row, left to right: Jill Witte, RN; Dr. Anne Doll-Pollard, medical staff chair of obstetrics, nursery, and pediatrics; Tracy Mensing, RN and facilitator; Ann Kalmer, RN; and Chelsea Anderson, RN. Middle row: Hailee Gill, RN; Ruth Rainey, RN; Ali Wuebbles, RN; Tiffany Meyer, RN; Cathy Bostick, RN; and Rachel Edwards, RN. Back row: Serra Morton, director of women and infants; Dana Wiegmann, RN; Kylah McCord, RN; Lauren Donnewald, RN; Britny Winning, RN; Jessica Mettler, RN; Janie Schaeffer; and Nancy Beckemeyer, RN. (Masks were removed briefly for the photo.)