McLeod Health Clarendon recognized for maternity care

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MANNING - McLeod Health Clarendon and McLeod Regional Medical Center have been recognized by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina for higher quality and cost efficiency in maternity care.

Both facilities received BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina's Blue Distinction Centers+ (BBC+) for Maternity Care designation as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.

"McLeod is very pleased that our Women's Services area has received this top honor as a Blue Distinction Center," said Tammy Abel, vice president for Women's and Children's Services at McLeod Regional Medical Center. "This award is truly an honor and a result of our team's consistency in delivering quality care to the patients and families in our region. Our physicians and care teams remain dedicated to medical excellence, demonstrated by their continual focus on quality outcomes and evidence-based care. This award serves as validation of the dedicated work our team delivers every single day to the families we serve."

Kim Jolly, chief nursing officer for McLeod Health Clarendon, said the hospital's "top priority is to provide each of our patients safe, high-quality care."

"We are pleased to be recognized by BlueCross BlueShield for meeting the rigorous Blue Distinction Center quality selection criteria for maternity care that is achieved through the teamwork and dedication of our entire hospital staff," Jolly added. "This recognition underscores McLeod Health's commitment to providing high-quality patient-centered care to every mother and baby who entrust us with their care."

Racial and ethnic disparities are persistent and widespread across maternal health care, primarily driven by socioeconomic status, geographic location and implicit provider bias. Compared with similarly developed countries such as Canada, Germany and Australia, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate at approximately 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births, and that rate has risen steadily since 2000. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, non-Hispanic Black women are two to three times more likely to die from preventable or treatable pregnancy-related complications compared with white women.

To help address these gaps in care and to help ensure the better health of mothers, the BlueCross BlueShield Association enhanced its quality evaluation for the Maternity Care program to address key factors driving the United States' maternal health crisis, such as preventable or treatable pregnancy-related conditions, high utilization of Caesarean sections and racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health care.

For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated providers, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.