In this episode of “Yoga | Birth | Babies,” I speak with founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement, Dr Debra Bingham. Recently in the news there have been articles discussing the study “Nurses’ Knowledge and Teaching of Possible Postpartum Complications” highlighting the wide range (often lack) of knowledge postpartum nurses have about maternal mortality rates in the US and what is appropriate instructions to be sending new mothers home with from the hospital or birth center. Dr Bingham was one of the authors of this study. She discusses the findings of her work as well as life saving information women can learn to take charge of their own health postpartum.
Topics discussed:
- A deeper discussion about the study, “American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing: Nurses’ Knowledge and Teaching of Possible Postpartum Complications.”
- The current infant and maternal mortality rate and how it compares to other industrialized countries
- The most vulnerable period for a mother postpartum.
- The leading causes and trends in pregnancy related morbidity and mortality.
- Specific warning and urgent emergency signs a woman and her partner should know.
- Who is responsible for medical support for mom and baby before she is discharged from the hospital or birth center?
- The process before a woman is discharged and the lack of a medical and psychological set standard to examine to before discharge.
- The typical education women receive at discharge.
- What other cultures are doing that we can learn from to better support our new mothers.
- Places a woman can find further information and education and get comprehensive information to best find support.
Improving Postbirth Dishcharge Education About Potential Complications: http://www.perinatalqi.org/
About Dr. Bingham:
Dr. Debra Bingham has over 30 years experience in Maternal Child Health Nursing, a master’s degree in perinatal nursing from Columbia University, and a doctorate in Public Health from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Most of Debra’s career has been spent working in hospital leadership positions at the front lines of healthcare. For example, she has held the positions of Director of Maternal Child Health Nursing for 2 union hospitals in New York City, Manager of a large referral Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in New York City, a stand-alone birthing center in a small community hospital, and a fetal evaluation unit.
Debra has expertise in Quality Improvement (QI), health care safety, and implementation science. Her dissertation was on how to improve front-line clinician’s quality improvement implementation effectiveness. In addition, she has led numerous QI inter-disciplinary initiatives designed to improve the safety of healthcare. She is an author of numerous articles published in peer reviewed journals and of implementation toolkits. Debra was the Vice President of Research, Education, and Practice for the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) where she led the development and launch of the Postpartum Hemorrhage Project, the Women’s Health and Perinatal Nursing Care Quality Measures, and the Maternal Fetal Triage Index. Dr. Bingham was the first Executive Director of the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative where she helped form the collaborative and the California Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (CA-PAMR) committee, co-authored the Obstetric Hemorrhage Toolkit, and launched the first CA-Obstetric Hemorrhage Multi-Hospital Collaborative. Debra was the Chair of the Council in Patient Safety in Women’s Healthcare (a volunteer organization comprised of representatives from 17 professional organizations). Debra is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and former Chair of Lamaze International’s Institute for Safe and Healthy Births.
Dr. Debra Bingham has over 30 years experience in Maternal Child Health Nursing, a master’s degree in perinatal nursing from Columbia University, and a doctorate in Public Health from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Most of Debra’s career has been spent working in hospital leadership positions at the front lines of healthcare. She is an author of numerous articles published in peer reviewed journals and of implementation toolkits. Debra is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and former Chair of Lamaze International’s Institute for Safe and Healthy Births.
Currently Dr. Bingham is an Associate Professor of Healthcare Quality and Safety at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, a perinatal consultant and the founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Perinatal Quali
