Bureau of Family Health
Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC)

Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC)

The Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC) is an initiative of the Bureau of Family Health and an authorized initiative of the Louisiana Commission on Perinatal Care and Prevention of Infant Mortality. LaPQC is a network of perinatal care providers, public health professionals, and advocates who work to improve outcomes for women, families, and newborns in Louisiana. The LaPQC serves a vital role in supporting birthing facilities across the state in implementing evidence-based best practices that promote safe and dignified birth.

For questions, contact Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, MD, MAS, Medical Director, Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative and Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review at Veronica.Gillispie@la.gov.

LaPQC Priorities

The LaPQC provides support for continuous quality improvement related to perinatal and neonatal outcomes. This partnership aligns with the Bureau of Family Health’s vision to make Louisiana a place where all people are valued to reach their full potential, from birth through the next generation. Program staff are working on the following initiatives during the 2023-2024 state fiscal year:

Learn more about these programs using the links below:

breastfeeding and infant nutrition through The Gift;
maternal mortality, morbidity, and birth outcomes through the Safe Births Initiative; and
improving the identification, care, and treatment of women and newborns affected by opioids and substance use through the Improving Care for the Substance-Exposed Dyad (ICSED) Initiative.
understanding screening and referral pathways for caregivers of infants in the Caregiver Perinatal Depression Screening in Pediatrics pilot.

Birth Ready Designation

In an effort to recognize participating LaPQC facilities and create a system of sustained evidence-based change, the Collaborative now offers the Louisiana Birth Ready Designation. With two tiers of achievement – Louisiana Birth Ready and Louisiana Birth Ready+ – the Designation recognizes facilities' consistent, thoughtful healthcare improvement work. Birth Ready Designation also celebrates improved perinatal health outcomes, the result of implementing clinical practices that promote safe, patient-centered, and dignified birth for all birthing persons in Louisiana.

Each Designation level includes five areas of requirement: participation in collaborative learning; health disparity and patient partnership; policies and procedures; structures and education; and outcome and process measures. Many of the hospitals awarded Designation have been working for years with the LaPQC, implementing evidence-based best practices that address common causes of maternal mortality and morbidity related to hemorrhage and hypertension, as well as practices that promote vaginal birth. Hospitals receiving Birth Ready Designation did not pay for this honor; rather, facilities went through a rigorous application and review process by the LaPQC to receive Designation.

Click here to view the list of Louisiana hospitals that have achieved Birth Ready or Birth Ready+ Designation.

Law Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act

The PUMP Act is a law that makes several important changes and closes loopholes in the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law, which has required since 2010 that employers nationwide provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for lactating employees to pump milk during the workday

Under the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law, as updated by the PUMP Act, employers of ALL sizes are required to provide a reasonable amount of break time and a clean, private space for lactating workers to express milk for up to one year following the birth of the employee’s child. The pumping space cannot be a bathroom.

The PUMP Act:

Expands the legal right to receive pumping breaks and private space to nearly 9 million more workers, including teachers, registered nurses, farmworkers, and many others.
Makes it possible for an employee to file a lawsuit against an employer that violates the law.
Clarifies that pumping time counts as time worked when calculating minimum wage and overtime if an employee is not completely relieved from their work duties during the pumping break.
Clarifies that employers with fewer than 50 employees must provide break time and space.

Please download the document below, which provides more detail on the PUMP Act, the available protections, resources if an employer does not comply, and information on what the Louisiana Dept. of Health (LDH), Office of Public Health (OPH), and Bureau of Family Health (BFH) are doing to support lactating employees.

Additional Resources on the PUMP Act:

LDH Employees can find information about LDH policy on supporting lactating employees in accordance with federal and state regulations: LDH Employee Lactation Support
For Employees who work in Benson Tower: Benson Tower Lactation Room Guidelines
For Employees who work in the Bienville Building: Bienville Lactation Room Guidelines
Find more information about the PUMP Act from the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee and resources for rail carriers and motorcoach employees: U.S. Breastfeeding Committee
For comprehensive information and resources about the law: the U.S. Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act

Reducing Maternal Morbidity Initiative: Reports

The Reducing Maternal Morbidity Initiative Final Report
Download to read the final results of the first Reducing Maternal Morbidity Initiative.

Helpful Links

Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM): This national data-driven maternal safety and quality improvement initiative is based on proven implementation approaches to improving maternal safety and outcomes in the U.S.
Data Center: Find and download the Bureau of Family Health's data products, such as LaPQC reports and fact sheets.
The Gift: an evidence-based program for Louisiana birthing facilities designed to increase breastfeeding rates and hospital success.
Perinatal Mental Health Resources to Share with Families: Find information to share with families about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including the symptoms, treatment, and available resources.
Louisiana Perinatal Commission: This commission was established to research and review all state regulations, guidelines, policies, and procedures that impact perinatal care.
Louisiana Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review (PAMR): PAMR works to quantify and understand pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated deaths in order to create actionable, comprehensive recommendations to prevent future deaths.
Mortality Surveillance: Our statewide Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Coordinators and mortality review teams work statewide to reduce and prevent maternal, infant, and child morbidity.
What is a PQC?: This video from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) describes perinatal quality collaboratives (PQCs) and their role in improving health outcomes.

Contact Info and Staff

If you’d like more information or are interested in collaborating with the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative, email LaPQC@la.gov or visit lapqc.org.

Amy Zapata, MPH

Director, Bureau of Family Health and Co-Director, LaPQC

Amy.Zapata@la.gov

Veronica Gillispie-Bell, MD, MAS, FACOG

Medical Director, LaPQC and Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review and Co-Director, LaPQC

Veronica.Gillispie@la.gov

Kerrie Redmond, BSN, RCN-OB

LaPQC Quality Improvement Advisor

Kerrie.Redmond@la.gov

Marci Brewer, MPH

New Initiatives and Breastfeeding Program Manager

Marci.Brewer@la.gov

Imani Evans, MPH

Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Epidemiologist

Imani.Evans@la.gov

Lyn Kieltyka, PhD

Senior Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist

Lyn.Kieltyka@la.gov