Leading the Way in Safe Care of Moms & Babies
Monmouth Medical Center has built one of the safest obstetrical and gynecologic services in the nation.
As a Barnabas Health facility, Monmouth Medical Center is a part of a systemwide Obstetric Collaborative Group formed to better the quality and safety of care delivered to New Jersey women.
“We are proud to be leaders in this initiative,” says Robert Graebe, M.D., chairman and program director of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Monmouth Medical Center has built one of the safest obstetrical and gynecologic services in the nation, and continues to expand and upgrade its facility to match its commitment to quality care and patient safety. Below are some of the highlights of Monmouth’s Maternity Center of Excellence, which with 4,500 births annually, delivers the most babies of any hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
• More than 40 years ago, Monmouth Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was the first of its kind in New Jersey and among the first six offered at community hospitals nationally. Monmouth Medical Center has been a Level III High-Risk Maternity Center since the designation was initiated 45 years ago.
• Monmouth was counted among the top 5 percent in the nation as a HealthGrades Maternity Center of Excellence in 2010, 2011 and 2012. HealthGrades is a leading independent health care ratings organization. LeapFrog similarly gave Monmouth an A rating for 2012 and 2013.
• Monmouth maintains the lowest surgical delivery rate of a Level III obstetrical unit in New Jersey— below 20 percent compared to the statewide average of 39 percent and the national rate of 32 percent.
• Monmouth’s trial of labor after C-section rate of 35 percent is well above the state and national average, with 90 percent successfully delivered vaginally.
• The hospital’s breastfeeding rate among discharged postpartum patients stands at 73 percent— ranking it first among Level III facilities and providing a strong indicator of quality care.
• Monmouth performs well above the acceptable national level for preventing post-C-section infection.
• Monmouth offered the first fulltime Laborist Program in the state. This distinctive program increases patient safety with ‘round-theclock Laborist physicians who are board-certified obstetricians with Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics national certification to monitor patients and perform deliveries on an “as-needed” basis.
• Monmouth developed the first Obstetrical Rapid Response Team in the state, ready to respond to all obstetrical emergencies.
• The Labor-and-Delivery Unit offers at least two attending Ob/Gyn physicians and one resident Ob/ Gyn physician on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. This is in addition to an attending anesthesiologist, a neonatal intensive care specialist and full hospital support staff. On-call neonatal and perinatal sub-specialists are available 24 hours a day for immediate consultation.
• The Eisenberg Family Center recently unveiled a new wing of its postpartum unit (see related story at left), featuring additional expansive private postpartum rooms for new mothers recovering from childbirth. Monmouth’s Labor-and-Delivery Unit also was expanded to accommodate demand and underwent renovations that included all new labor beds and bedside tables and the latest technology. The unit is designed to accommodate each expectant mother’s birthing plan, including such delivery options as pool births.
“Monmouth Medical Center has provided this level of care well ahead of today’s public demand and government mandates simply because it is the right thing to do,” Dr. Graebe says.“The quality and strength of our department is mirrored in the quality of its members and has for decades been the supporting expertise that has helped Monmouth Medical Center become a national model for excellence in obstetrics.”
