Memorial Hospital for Women Awarded LaPQC Louisiana Birth Ready Designation

Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women recently received the Louisiana Birth Ready Designation from the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC). The designation recognizes the skillful work, continuous improvement, and implementation of best practices evaluated by the LaPQC.

The medical staff and employees at Memorial Hospital for Women have always worked hard to implement best practices that lead to better birthing outcomes for mothers and babies. This designation is a celebration and recognition of this hard work of promoting safe, equitable, and dignified births for all birthing persons in SWLA.

“We have always been committed to the safety of our moms and babies. Our dedication to the latest evidence based research and practice ensures that we promote and provide safe, equitable, and dignified births to all of our patients,” says Alesha Alford, MSN, RN, Administrative Director of Nursing at Memorial Hospital for Women.

Hospitals receiving Birth Ready Designation undergo a rigorous application and review process by the LaPQC. To achieve a Birth Ready Designation, Memorial Hospital for Women met five areas of requirement: participation in collaborative learning; health disparity and patient partnership; policies and procedures; structures and education; and outcome and process measures.

Cheryl McCombs, RNC-OB, Perinatal Quality Clinical Analyst, says “With this designation, our hard work and commitment are recognized and spotlighted throughout our community and throughout the state.”

This recognition by the LaPQC and Louisiana Department of Health is another example of why Memorial Hospital for Women is southwest Louisiana’s birth leader. Other notable recognitions include: being named Louisiana’s first infant safe sleep certified hospital by the National Safe Sleep Hospital and being named one of the 42 “Gift” designated birthing facilities by increasing breastfeeding rates and quality of maternity services.

The expanded and renovated Memorial for Women, has 52-beds in the Family Birth Center and Family Surgery Center, located at the corner of Nelson and Gauthier Roads. This unique facility combines comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services geared towards women, including pregnancy, childbirth, gynecology, neonatal intensive care, general surgery, prenatal and breast cancer genetics education/testing and breast health. Additionally, the most advanced diagnostics, include digital mammography, laboratory testing, radiology, ct/bone density scanning and ultrasound.