At a glance
Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (PQCs) are state or multistate networks of multidisciplinary teams working to improve maternal and infant health care and outcomes. Find information about PQCs, their accomplishments, CDC support, the future of PQCs, and collaboration with other agencies.
About PQCs
PQCs work with hospitals, providers, patients, public health practitioners, and other partners. These partnerships provide opportunities for collaborative learning, rapid response data, and quality improvement science support to achieve population-level change.
PQC Accomplishments
States and health care facilities participating in PQC quality improvement efforts have addressed important issues affecting maternal and infant health, including:
- Reductions in elective deliveries before 39 weeks gestation.
- Reductions in low-risk cesarean births.
- Reductions in health care-associated infections in newborns.
- Reductions in severe pregnancy complications.
- Reductions in preterm births.
Supporting PQCs
CDC is currently providing support for 36 state-based PQCs.
In addition to directly funding 36 PQCs, CDC supports the National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (NNPQC). The NNPQC helps PQCs across the nation make measurable improvements. The National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ) has coordinated the NNPQC since 2017. The NNPQC provides a forum for PQCs to share knowledge through an online network, a listserv, webinars, and in-person meetings.
The Future of PQCs
PQCs will continue to adapt as needed to address critical current and emergent perinatal health issues facing our nation. CDC will continue to support a collaborative, population-based approach to improve the quality of care for our nation's moms and babies.
State maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) develop clinical recommendations to improve maternal outcomes. PQCs are a key partner to implement these recommendations more broadly across health facilities.
Collaboration with Other Federal Agencies
CDC collaborates with state and federal partners to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. For example, the Health Resources and Services Administration manages the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM). AIM is a program focused on improving maternal health by implementing patient evidence-based safety bundles. These bundles provide facilities with a roadmap to carry out best practices for improving safety in maternity care. PQCs provide a quality improvement infrastructure that supports the dissemination and implementation of the AIM bundles.