Adventhealth Wesley Chapel Recognized as a Maternal Levels of Care Verified Hospital

May 03, 2024 — WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. -- AdventHealth Wesley Chapel has been recognized as a Maternal Levels of Care verified hospital by The Joint Commission through its collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and support from the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative. The national verification is awarded to those hospitals that meet comprehensive maternal standards of care based on guidelines established by ACOG that work to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.

“As a hospital in the rapidly growing Pasco County area, we recognize the significance of providing access to exceptional maternal care,” said Dawn Hicks-Waldron, chief nursing officer of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel. “This verification acknowledges that our team at the Baby Place is continuously working towards the best birth outcomes for mothers in our community.”

To achieve this verification, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel voluntarily went through a rigorous independent review to verify that it has the right staff, equipment, resources and processes in place to provide risk-appropriate maternal care. Verification assures a mom that our facility has the clinical capabilities and expertise to safely deliver services.

The verification process also includes a comprehensive on-site assessment, an evaluation of maternal care capabilities and a policy compliance review. The verification designated AdventHealth Wesley Chapel as a Level I facility, which means we have demonstrated we can care for low to moderate-risk pregnancies, Detect, stabilize, and initiate management of unanticipated maternal-fetal or neonatal challenges that occur throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period until the patient can be transferred to a facility where specialized maternity care is available.

“We are thrilled to see this degree of early enthusiasm for ACOG Levels of Maternal Care in the State of Florida,” said Cole Greves, MD, Chair of ACOG District XII. “Through this program, our hospitals have shown an increased commitment to improving the lives of mothers by always ensuring access to risk-appropriate care. We anticipate an increased level of collaboration to promote high quality and safe care that will move the needle toward a reduction in maternal mortality in our state.”

The national verification program's goal is to halt and ideally reduce the rising rates of maternal morbidity and mortality by encouraging systems to standardize perinatal practice through the delivery of risk-appropriate maternal care.

The Maternal Levels of Care Verification program was developed using guidelines based on the Obstetric Care Consensus jointly established by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. This clinical guidance includes comprehensive uniform definitions, a standardized description of maternity facility capabilities and personnel, and a framework for integrated systems that address maternal health needs. To learn more, visit the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative website.

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel’s Baby Place is also a Women’s Choice Award "America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics," and considered a top maternity hospital by U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek as well as a Baby-Friendly designated facility. AdventHealth Wesley Chapel offers support through preconception, pre- and postnatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum, and beyond.