Initiatives
Improved Hearing Screening and Intervention Services (IHSIS)
A series of collaborative improvement projects to increase the rate of documented follow-up and intervention services for infants with hearing loss.
Status:
The multiple collaborative projects ran from 2010 to 2013.
- Who: Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) offices representing 28 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, in collaboration with parent partners, audiologists and other healthcare professionals and advocates.
- Funder: This project was funded by the Health Resources and Service Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
- Our Role: Facilitated Breakthrough Series learning collaboratives to apply quality improvement methodology to improve the systems of care for children with hearing loss.
What IHSIS Project Participants Say
Working with NICHQ has been a very rewarding experience … A partnership with families has been a hallmark of what the Maternal and Child Health Bureau has done for years, but NICHQ really demonstrated how important those partnerships are.
Being involved with NICHQ has been a career-changing and life-altering experience in many ways. Quality improvement methodology is not additive to my work, it influences how I do my daily work.
At the beginning we thought that it'd be another project or another thing to do in our list of things we're supposed to do. But actually what I've learned is this is a better way to do things—a faster, better and effective way. You have to have a goal and objectives. When you work through the process we've been learning at NICHQ, everything is very efficient.
Prior to the working with NICHQ, we had had some broad areas of focus for our plan for the year, but really had no strategy or mechanism for testing whether a change that we implemented was an improvement. And we’d always implement statewide before knowing if the change was beneficial. I’ve seen other participants in NICHQ projects make a similar shift and now think about how things are possible instead of impossible.
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Florida’s CYSHCN program and the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality have partnered with purpose on a cutting-edge, statewide Quality Improvement (QI) journey with 32 specialty clinical teams across our state. This five-year initiative prompted 50 small tests of change with plan-do-study-act cycles, strengthening the statewide cross-collaborative for a health care transition QI focus in our fourth year. Authentic partnerships include co-design with families and youth, new partnerships based on similar needs, and intentional community partnerships resulting in positive outcomes and resources for collective impact. This interactive session demonstrates meaningful partnerships, inclusion of partners with lived experience, and highlights partnership achievements through QI.
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Before Birth & Beyond
Before Birth & Beyond: Improving Care in MCH is a new equity-focused NICHQ podcast dedicated to discussing pressing issues in maternal and child health through the lens of shared learning, action, and impact.
Before Birth & Beyond: Improving Care in MCH
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S2, E2 Show Notes
EPISODE 2 SUMMARY: In this episode of Before Birth & Beyond, celebrate World Doula Week with NICHQ as we discuss the ways doula support improves maternal and child health outcomes and patient and family engagement with LaToshia Rouse CD/PCD(DONA), owner of Birth Sisters Doula Services. Rouse currently serves as the Patient and Family Engagement Co-Chair of the National Network for Perinatal Quality Collaboratives Executive Committee and joined NICHQ’s Board of Directors in March 2022.
Main Story: Doula Services Improve Maternal and Birth Outcomes
SEGMENT SUMMARY: Celebrate World Doula Week with NICHQ! Studies examining the impact of continuous support by doulas report significant reductions in cesarean births, instrumental vaginal births, need for oxytocin augmentation, and shortened durations of labor. In this episode of Before Birth & Beyond, we discuss the ways doula support improves maternal and child health outcomes and patient and family engagement.
TAKE ACTION: Join NICHQ in celebrating World Doula Week 2024.
RELATED LINKS:
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READ | Doula Support Improves Maternal and Child Health Outcomes, Patient and Family Engagement
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VIDEO ON DEMAND | NICHQ's 3/27 Doula Webinar
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TAKE ACTION: Register for the upcoming The Equity Exchange
RELATED LINKS:
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Before Birth & Beyond
Before Birth & Beyond: Improving Care in MCH is a new equity-focused NICHQ podcast dedicated to discussing pressing issues in maternal and child health through the lens of shared learning, action, and impact.
Before Birth & Beyond: Improving Care in MCH
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S2, E1 Show Notes
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February is Black History Month. Join the National Institute for Children's Health Quality in honoring the many contributions of Black health professionals to the U.S. healthcare system, this month and beyond!
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In recognition of Black History Month, we join in uplifting and building on the incredible work of Black medical professionals who contributed to establishing nursing schools, hospitals, and clinics to provide spaces for Black people to get quality health care. As we honor their legacies and many contributions to improve the U.S. healthcare system, join NICHQ in shining a light on the impact of racism on maternal and child health outcomes – this month and beyond.
The health and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, young adults, and their families are negatively impacted by racism embedded within structures, institutions, relationships, and environments. Read more from the National Academy of Medicine about Acknowledging Structural Racism's Direct and Negative Impact on Health.
Resources for Health Professionals
Clinical care providers, public health professionals, educators, and community advocates can view the below resources to learn how to better support Black mothers, birthing people, and families as they navigate unique challenges in the health care system.
INSIGHT | Four Steps to Address Racism’s Impact on Maternal and Child Health
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RECORDING | The Equity Exchange: The State of DEI
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PODCAST | Before Birth & Beyond
NICHQ's podcast series, Before Birth & Beyond, provides health professionals with insight into important equity topics such as Black maternal health, maternal mental health, engaging fathers in your work, inviting and including family partners, and more! Listen to past episodes, and subscribe to be notified when new episodes become availbe.
This year, NICHQ launched a new podcast, Catalyst Conversations in MCH, hosted by CEO and President Scott D. Berns, MD, MPH, FAAP. Listen to the first episode, featuring a conversation about strengthening inter-organizational efforts in anti-racism.
NICHQ Webinars
Watch informative webinars on demand to gain a historical perspective about some of the challenges Black children, mothers, birthing people, and families experience within the healthcare system.
WEBINAR | From Awareness to Action: Strategies for Combating Racism in Health Systems
Learn strategies to identify and address racism and racial bias and apply a racial equity lens to collective impact-based health improvement initiatives.
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In this interactive session, panelists model conversations among providers, families, and advocates about reasons for and solutions to missed SCD healthcare appointments. This webinar features discussion and conversation guides that are now available for providers and community-based organizations that specialize in sickle cell disease care.
Learn more about NICHQ projects committed to reducing disparities for Black populations:
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- Improving Sickle Cell Disease Care - Hemoglobinopathies Coordinating Center
- National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives
- New York State Birth Equity Improvement Project
- Supporting Healthy Start Performance Project
- United HealthCare Catalyst Initiative: Infant Health Equity
Resources for Families
INFOGRAPHIC | Missed Sickle Cell Disease Appointments
Most adults and children living with sickle cell disease (SCD) missed at least one clinic appointment in a year, according to a study by an Atlanta regional SCD center. This infographic suggests some steps to find solutions and help make getting to appointments easier.
GUIDE | Safe Infant Sleep Baby Registry Guide
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PARTNER RESOURCE | AAP Releases Updated Gun Violence Prevention Recommendations
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