Hope Delivered

Deepening Focus on Maternal Health

MetroHealth continues to reinforce its reputation as a leader in maternal and infant health, providing the highest-quality care for the community’s expectant women and newborns – including the most vulnerable.

In January 2023, MetroHealth opened a new, state-of-the-art Birth Center and NICU. In its first year, the Center welcomed 2,711 newborns, and the NICU cared for 543 newborns. The Center also posted impressive outcomes: Only 18% of the first-time deliveries were by cesarean section, less than the national average of 22.5%. The pre-term
birthrate fell to 14%, down from 16% the year before the Center opened.

While MetroHealth is known for its expertise with both low- and high-risk pregnancies, the System is going beyond its own walls in its commitment to maternal health.

One of the most successful examples is the Nurse-Family Partnership – a program where nurses make regular home visits to expectant mothers during pregnancy, after delivery and through their child’s second birthday.

MetroHealth’s obstetric providers are also leaders in the state in developing ways to eliminate disparities.

“Our obstetric nurses are committed to addressing the maternal health equity crisis,” said Kimberly Green, MSN, RN, C-EFM, Vice President of Women and Children Services. “Their mission is to ensure our patients have the healthiest possible pregnancy, delivery and postpartum experiences. We are dedicated to preparing all new moms to be the best they can be through education, awareness and holistic care.”

MetroHealth is also doing groundbreaking research to improve pregnancy outcomes for its patients and inform pregnancy care nationally and internationally. The Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine is one of only a few in the nation selected to participate in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute in Child Health and Human Development’s Maternal Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) research network.

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