Things I Wish I Had Known
Medical City Dallas became one of the first Texas hospitals to complete its maternal verification survey for Level 4 OB designation. As the hospital’s perinatal program manager, Lauren Moore, BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, was quickly tasked with getting the hospital ready for its first survey within a few months. So what tips does she have for those starting this journey?
Plan ample time to gather documents
Moore says a successful survey process starts with planning early. With so many people involved, in so many roles, it can seem overwhelming at first. A good place to start your planning is by involving the medical staff leadership, leaders from other departments – and the hospital administration. “By involving them, they have a better understanding of why we are asking for these things,” she said. “Being organized with what you need is also helpful.” Factor in extra time for gathering the materials needed, as it likely will take longer than you anticipate.
Work out IT issues in advance
Most hospitals rely on multiple software platforms and systems to run their operations. Fetal monitoring uses its own system, physician orders are in another, for example. And if your hospital has changed servers in recent years, that can present additional challenges. Rather than waiting until the maternal verification surveyors arrive on site at your hospital, identify any potential technology challenges in advance. “You’ll know 30 days ahead of time what the surveyors will want to look at, so work with finance or quality departments to start preparing,” Moore advised.
What else should you know about maternal verification surveys?
These lessons learned were among several that Moore shared with colleagues on Texas Perinatal Services’ live customer-only Perinatal Forum. Want to get more tips from her, and hear her full list of things she wishes she had known? Sign up for your Texas Perinatal Services maternal survey and you will have access to this and dozens of other resources developed just for you in our Virtual Library.
