Hi-Desert Medical Center Recognized for Meeting National 2020 C-section Rate Goal Three Years Early

JOSHUA TREE, Calif. – Dec. 16, 2016 – Hi-Desert Medical Center was recently recognized for its success in reducing its Cesarean-section rate for low-risk, first-time mothers. 

HDMC was among the honor roll of 104 California hospitals recognized by California Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley for meeting or exceeding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2020 goal for C-section rates three years early.

Maternal performance data reported by Smart Care California (SCC) showed that HDMC’s 2015 C-section rate among low-risk, first-time mothers – known as the NTSV Cesarean birth rate – was 20.1 percent, which earned the hospital an “above average” rating from SCC. HDMC was one of only 36 hospitals in California to receive this rating. 

While potentially life-saving in certain circumstances, unnecessary C-sections can pose serious health risks for babies and mothers, including higher infection rates, blood clots and heavy blood loss for mothers and higher infection rates and respiratory complications for babies. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2010 report, “Healthy People,” which set 10-year goals and objectives for health promotion and disease prevention for the nation, established a 2020 benchmark of 23.9 percent for NTSV C-sections. The national average is currently 27.3 percent. 

“At Hi-Desert Medical Center, we pride ourselves on caring for women, at every age and state of life, through the child-bearing years and beyond,” said Karen Faulis, the hospital’s CEO. “We are pleased and honored to be recognized by the state of California for our efforts in successfully meeting the national goal of reducing unnecessary C-sections.”

SCC is a coalition of public and private health care purchasers, including CalPERS, Covered California, Medi-Cal and the Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH), that collectively cover more than 16 million people statewide — or 40 percent of all Californians. The group is committed to reducing the number of unnecessary C-sections at hospitals across the state. The Hospital Quality Institute (HQI) is working collaboratively with the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC) to help all hospitals meet the Healthy People 2020 goal within the next three years.