Certification

Hospital Certification

The Voluntary Certification Program (VCP) is a peer review/quality assurance process for the purposes of reducing morbidity and mortality and improving the care of patients.

Certification of a facility demonstrates the facility recognizes and supports Arizona’s regionalized perinatal care health care system.

Participation in the VCP provides an ongoing multi-disciplinary comprehensive external review of a hospitals perinatal/neonatal care services.

Any licensed hospital providing perinatal/neonatal care services to Arizona’s residents 

is eligible for certification.

Certification through Arizona Perinatal Trust...

Provides participating hospitals with the following advantages:

Unfettered access to a repository of best practice guidelines, policies, and technical support driven by national evidenced-based standards

Membership in a solutions-driven, regional cohort of certified hospitals representing 95% of infants delivered in Arizona

Improved, reportable quality performance metrics including infant and neonatal mortality and morbidity (Rashidian, et al, 2014)*. 

Membership in a ground breaking public/private partnership, in which peer professionals drive quality improvement in collaboration with Arizona’s leaders at the Department of Health Services (DHS), Arizona Health Care Cost Containment Services (AHCCCS), March of Dimes, and others

Demonstrated alliance with the de facto standard of perinatal care for the state of Arizona (Clement, 2005)

A confidential, voluntary certification process with a nonpunitive sharing model of immediate feedback by an interdisciplinary team of volunteer experts (maternal fetal medicine/obstetrics, neonatology, anesthesia, OB and neonatal nursing, social work, public health and AHCCCS)

Enhanced culture of safety as a direct result of clinical practice alignment with community and national standards

Potential cost containment due to mitigation of risk associated with elevated quality of care delivery

Contribution to enhanced physician and nursing satisfaction due to enhanced culture of safety

Non-governmental process provided under Arizona revised statutes for Quality Review and Assurance

A certification program, which is driven by national quality standards but is also Arizona specific

A certification program that supports the hospital’s achievement of the quadruple aim

Note: Arizona APT certified hospitals exceed Healthy People 2020 and Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) performance metrics for very Low Birth Weight (LBW) preterm infants to be born at Level III and Level IV NICUs

apply for certification

Recommendations & Guidelines

The success of a collaborative regional perinatal health care system depends on the cooperation and partnership of all members of the perinatal/neonatal health care team. In support of this concept, the Recommendations & Guidelines (R&Gs) were developed by the community of perinatal/neonatal health care providers in Arizona.

The R&Gs are provided at no charge to Arizona hospitals. Please respect the copyright and share only with individuals in your facility. Contact APT office for instructions for downloading the current version of the R&Gs.

Guideline

  1. Levels of Care
  2. Personnel
  3. Services
  4. Requests for Additional Services
  5. Equipment and Environment
  6. Quality and Safety Management
  7. Education & Research
  8. Resources
  9. Glossary

Provide care for uncomplicated obstetrical patients (excluding cesarean delivery) and basic and transitional newborn care. Requires the ability to detect, stabilize and initiate management of unanticipated problems until the patient can be transferred to a facility for the appropriate level of care.

Centers should not electively deliver infants <37 weeks’ gestation

Provide care for low- to moderate-risk obstetrical patients, including cesarean delivery and basic and transitional newborn care. Requires the ability to detect, stabilize and initiate management of unanticipated problems until the patient can be transferred to a facility for the appropriate level of care

Centers should not electively deliver infants <35 weeks’ gestation

Provide care for low-risk, uncomplicated and selected high-risk mothers and newborns. Requires the ability to detect, stabilize and initiate management of unanticipated problems until the patient can be transferred to a facility for the appropriate level of care

Centers should not electively deliver infants <32 weeks’ gestation

Provide care for low-risk, uncomplicated and selected high-risk mothers and newborns. Requires the ability to detect, stabilize and initiate management of unanticipated problems until the patient can be transferred to a facility for the appropriate level of care

Centers should not electively deliver infants <28 weeks’ gestation

Provide care for low-risk, uncomplicated to more complex maternal and neonatal medical conditions, obstetric and fetal complications. Requires the ability to detect, stabilize and initiate management of unanticipated problems until the patient can be transferred to appropriate level of care

Centers care for all gestational ages and select subspecialty and intensive care

Provide care for low-risk, uncomplicated to more critical maternal and neonatal medical conditions, obstetric and fetal complications

Centers care for all gestational ages, all subspecialty and intensive care

Centers care for all newborns requiring select subspecialty and intensive care at all gestational ages

Centers care for all newborns requiring all subspecialty and intensive care at all gestational ages

Certified Hospitals & Levels

Pay Certification & Membership Fees

To pay your certification and/or membership fees:

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? CONTACT APT AT APT@AZPERINTAL.ORG OR CALL 602-835-2525