PRESS CONTACT: Kara Dress, 202-367-2434, marketing@lamaze.org
ALL OTHER INQUIRIES: 800-368-4404; info@lamaze.org
WASHINGTON (November 19, 2008)—Lamaze International can help U.S. consumers achieve two of the national health care goals announced at the meeting, National Priorities and Goals to Transform America’s Healthcare, presented by the National Priorities Partnership (NPP), held earlier this week. The goals, which are central to the Lamaze mission, would have a significant impact on maternity care if widely implemented.
The NPP, convened by the National Quality Forum, is comprised of 28 influential national health care organizations, with the goal of setting national priorities and goals to achieve real health care reform in the next five years. Their most recent event, National Priorities and Goals to Transform America’s Healthcare, released objectives aimed at transforming the nation’s health care system, in the areas of overuse, safety, patient and family engagement, care coordination, palliative and end of life care, and population health.
Lamaze International, through its childbirth education classes, is in a unique position to help NPP meet their first goal: “Patient and Family Engagement—to provide patient-centered, effective care.” For expectant families, the choices and decisions surrounding maternity care can be overwhelming. Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators (LCCE) provide information to help consumers make informed decisions, including the choice of care provider and comfort measures to use during labor and birth. Lamaze educators also encourage pregnant women to work with their physicians or midwives to plan for beneficial strategies that allow labor to begin on its own and ensure continuous support during labor.
“Lamaze is pleased to know that the work we already do contributes to the goals set forth by the National Priorities Partnership,” says Lamaze Institute for Normal Birth Chair Debra Bingham, MS, RN, LCCE, Dr. PH Candidate. “Now that perinatal quality measures are endorsed as national priorities, we anticipate multiple organizations as well as the health care industry will join in our efforts to improve maternity care in the United States.”
The sixth goal under the National Priorities and Goals to Transform America’s Healthcare is “Overuse—to remove waste and achieve effective, affordable care.” Within this goal, the NPP targets unnecessary cesarean surgeries. Lamaze promotes evidence-based information that is in line with reducing the rate of cesarean surgery. Allowing labor to begin on its own, avoiding unnecessary interventions, such as continuous electronic fetal monitoring, and using nonpharmacological pain management strategies, all help decrease the likelihood of a cesarean birth.
To learn more about how Lamaze International helps consumers make informed decisions about their maternity care and prepare for low-intervention labor and birth visit the Lamaze International Web site at www.lamaze.org.
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Since its founding in 1960, Lamaze International has worked to promote, support and protect normal birth through education and advocacy through the dedicated efforts of professional childbirth educators, providers and parents. An international organization with regional, state and area networks, its members and volunteer leaders include childbirth educators, nurses, midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, physicians, students and consumers. For more information about Lamaze International and the Lamaze Institute for Normal Birth, visit www.lamaze.org.
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