LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Close to 4,000 babies are born at E.W. Sparrow Hospital each year, and the hospital’s reputation for maternity care is climbing.
Sparrow Hospital has earned the “platinum” designation for maternal health care from the Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (MI AIM), according to hospital officials.
The designation is based on factors included Sparrow’s involvement in training from MI AIM, as well as top scores for treating severe maternal morbidities and short and long-term consequences to new mothers’ health, including hypertension, hemorrhages and sepsis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that maternal morbidity affects 50,000-60,000 women per year.
“Severe maternal morbidity is preventable in most cases,” said Tonyie Andrews-Johnson, Director of Women’s Services at Sparrow Hospital.
“In collaboration with MI AIM, Sparrow is on a daily journey to improve maternal mortality and morbidity in our community,” Andrews-Johnson continued.
Last year, Sparrow again achieved the status of a “baby-friendly” hospital designation, as one of 13 Michigan hospitals and 598 in the U.S. to achieve the status from the World Health Organization.
Sparrow has achieved well below the state average in maternal hypertension and hemorrhage cases.
Between 2011 and 2020, Sparrow also saw a 58% decrease in SMM cases, including a 74.5% drop in hemorrhage cases.
Sparrow Hospital also has the only Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in mid-Michigan.
