NICU Recognized by the Maryland Patient Safety Center

Since October 2016, GBMC HealthCare, along with 31 other hospitals in Maryland, has been participating in a 2-year Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Collaborative through the Maryland Patient Safety Center. NAS is the constellation of signs and symptoms shown by babies born with in-utero opiate exposure, which most commonly occurs when mothers take opioids during pregnancy. NAS causes babies to experience withdrawal symptoms after birth and can lead to other future health problems.

The goal of the collaborative is to improve the care of infants with NAS. At GBMC, all areas of Maternal and Child Health (Labor and Delivery, Postpartum, Newborn Nursery, NICU, and Pediatrics) are involved in the care of the mothers, babies, and families affected by NAS. Through the collaborative, we implemented procedures and protocols to better identify, monitor, treat, and support the patients and their families, and also educated the staff to improve outcomes.

On Thursday, October 25, 2018, GBMC was recognized by the Maryland Patient Safety Center for excellence in implementation of these activities. Although 32 hospitals across the state participated in this collaborative, not all of the hospitals received this recognition. It is through the hard work of our team of nurses, physicians, and advanced practitioners that we have standardized our care across Maternal and Child Health and are able to continue to improve the care of our mothers and babies at GBMC.