Colorado hospitals, OB providers partner to reduce preterm, low-birthweight deliveries

Colorado hospitals and obstetrics providers are collaborating on a two-year initiative to reduce preterm and low-birthweight deliveries to no more than 9.6% and 7.8% of live births, respectively, the Colorado Hospital Association announced last week. Other partners in the Safe Deliveries Colorado initiative, funded by the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, include March of Dimes Colorado and the Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative. “The Safe Deliveries Colorado initiative is an essential step in improving the health of newborns in our state and represents an important commitment to population health,” said Steven Summer, CHA president and CEO. “Engaging our hospital and obstetrics communities gives us an opportunity to implement best practices and interventions that have been shown to delay early delivery and reduce infant morbidity.” CHA will provide education, quality improvement resources and data analytics to support the initiative, which will also focus on improving birth outcomes and reducing health disparities among minority populations.