WELCOME TO OPQC
Our mission: To reduce preterm births and improve maternal and birth outcomes across Ohio
ACTIVE PROJECTS
Perinatal Substance Use
CARE Project
Maternal Mental Health
SPOTLIGHT
The Maternity Care Toolkit
The United States faces a maternal morbidity crisis, with maternal death rates higher than any other high-income nation, despite most being preventable. In response, the Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative (OPQC), in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY), has developed the Maternity CARE Project Toolkit to support maternity care teams in improving clinical care and patient experience outcomes. Informed by a multi-year, peer-to-peer learning community, the toolkit includes practical strategies and resources to support data-informed, stakeholder-aligned action plans that promote improved outcomes and experience for every patient.
Lessons from the Maternal Mental Health Project Resource
Perinatal Psychiatrist Melissa Wagner, MD PhD, faculty for the OPQC and Ohio Department of Medicaid Maternal Mental Health Quality Improvement Project, highlights the importance of assessing patients for bipolar disorder (BD) if an SSRI medication is being considered for treatment of moderate or severe depression.
Saving Postpartum Lives Toolkit
For a number of years, unintentional overdose has been a leading cause of pregnancy-related death in Ohio, with the postpartum period posing the greatest risk. In response, OPQC, with CDC funding, developed the Saving Postpartum Lives Toolkit to support nurses, OB providers, and pharmacists in providing Naloxone education and access as part of postpartum discharge care.
The toolkit was shaped by feedback from EMPOWER moms with lived experience and postpartum patients, fostering inclusivity and addressing stigma. It promotes systems change by integrating Naloxone into maternal care and was tested in collaboration with Ohio birthing hospitals.
