Sumner Regional Women’s Services Becomes First in the State to Receive Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care

Sumner Regional Medical Center (SRMC) Women’s Services has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® for Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care (ACPC) 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, in this case for mothers, babies, and families.

SRMC is the first hospital in the state to achieve this certification, a huge feat in a state populated by larger healthcare corporations.

This “badge of honor” provides framework to elevate perinatal care. It recognizes organizations who have achieved integrated, coordinated and patient-centered prenatal through postpartum care, including for both complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies. The Joint Commission developed this certification because there is a growing need for standardized and appropriate obstetric care given the challenges of nationally increasing maternal morbidity and mortality rates in the United States.

Organizations attaining this certification may be able to showcase reductions in key measures such as:

• Infant mortality rates
• Maternal complications and mortality
• Unnecessary induction of labor
• Elective deliveries
• Complication of deliveries
• Prematurity rates
• Costs associated with lengthy hospital stays

These standards for perinatal were developed with the expertise of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the leading specialty organization for OBGYNs.  

“I am so honored to work with such a great group of nurses who are so focused on quality and safe care for our patients,” said Amanda Snyder, Women’s Services Director.

The Women’s Services department at SRMC underwent a rigorous onsite review. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards including the review of program management, patient charts and care provided, completion of care and follow-through, additional services offered to mother and baby and the overall delivery of clinical care. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews. After completion, reviewers commented that the results from the Women’s Services team at SRMC were “stellar” compared to most.

“I am very proud of us being the first hospital in the state of Tennessee to achieve this certification,” said Tracey McMahon, RN, Lactation Consultant at SRMC. “It is just the beginning of a lot of a lot of new things for us, and we are going to constantly be looking for ways to improve our care for our mothers and babies and for the entire community.”

This certification is one of many patient-centered programs instituted by the women’s services team at SRMC in the last year. Team achievements have included facilitating the donation of a cuddle cot to help grieving parents coping with the loss of a child, the opening of a breastmilk depot, and instituting a placental donor program.

“Working on this and finally receiving this certification means so much to us as nursery nurses. We can care for babies and keep them with mom as much as we can and also keep them close to mom. That is such an important part right after delivery and during that postpartum healing stage for mom,” said Katherine Williams, RN, CPN. “For us to have access to more training and resources to help us further what we are able to do here at Sumner. It is an amazing feeling and it makes you so proud of where you work and the ability to say we are able to do more.”

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.