Northwest Indiana hospital recognized for Black maternal health
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U.S. News & World Report this month unveiled its list of 26 high-performing maternity care hospitals it says have achieved excellent outcomes among Black patients. St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago is the only Indiana representative on the list.
The list, which is not a ranking, includes hospitals that serve at least 20 Black patients per year and had newborn complication rates of less than 2.62% and c-section rates of less than 23.9% among hospitals providing a higher level of care.
“Maternal mortality has been an area of concern in our state for years,” St. Catherine Hospital CEO Leo Correa said in an email to Inside INdiana Business. “In 2022, the state ranked as the third highest for maternal mortality in the United States, according to a report from Indiana University’s Public Policy Institute. St. Catherine Hospital is proud to be leading the way as the only hospital in the state to receive this distinction. It affirms our efforts in supporting healthy equity.”
St. Catherine Hospital is one of three acute-care hospitals within the Munster-based Community Healthcare System.
Correa said the hospital focuses on community outreach to meet the needs of residents outside of the hospital’s walls. He said the goal is to break down some of the barriers and guide our patients to the resources they need for healthy pregnancy and childbirth.
“It is all about offering support and providing the tools to help your community succeed,” Correa said. “As a system, we offer resources, knowledge and tools with the ultimate goal of helping babies have a healthy start in life. We also provide free perinatal navigation to provide an extra layer of support for our patients. The perinatal navigators help new mothers have successful pregnancy journeys. We also provide free childbirth education and breastfeeding classes to expectant parents, whether they deliver at our healthcare system or not.”
Correa said in an effort to continue providing a high quality of care, the health system conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment every three years to identify the most pressing needs of the areas it serves.
“Through this initiative, we gain insights that help us address health disparities and bring improvements to the community,” he said.
You can view the full list from U.S. News & World Report by clicking here.