Members of the TETAF Advocacy Committee were invited to present on the need for a perinatal data collaborative during a joint meeting of the Texas Hospital Association (THA) Physician Executives and the THA Quality and Patient Safety Council. The meeting was held Friday, April 29 via Zoom. 

TETAF president/CEO and lead advocate, Dinah Welsh; Regional Advisory Council (RAC)/Perinatal Care Regions (PCR) Alliance chair and TETAF board member, Dr. David Weisoly, and the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) executive director and a founding, long time TETAF board member (not currently serving), Eric Epley, presented to the hospital leaders and council members. All three shared perspective on the need to verify maternal and neonatal levels of care have improved in Texas and thoughts on collecting quality data at a regional level that can be used by hospitals and the state.

The TETAF Advocacy team requested that the Senate Health and Human Services Committee review health data collection and it is included in the interim charges as follows:

Public Health Data: Review the processes for public health data collection and coordination by local and state entities as well as regional trauma centers. Identify any continuing barriers to the real-time dissemination of data concerning health care facility capacity—including data that can expedite timely care—and mortality rates, as well as other information that can assist in public policy decisions. 

TETAF will advocate to the legislature the need for timely, robust data that can lead to improved outcomes in perinatal care, STEMI, stroke, and also disaster response.

Texas Perinatal Services appreciate everyone who attended the April Texas Perinatal Forum. We are continuing the leadership series in May. Jessica Phillips, MAS, BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, C-ONQS, perinatal program director for Texas Perinatal Services, and Erin Moore, TETAF/Texas Perinatal Services communications director, will present on "Clarity in Communication," on May 19 at 10:00 a.m. Central. Jessica and Erin will share tips on concise and effective communication.

We hope our hospital partners can join us on May 19 for our Texas Perinatal Forum.

Please register to attend the forum by clicking the button below.

The TETAF Board of Directors will hold its next quarterly meeting on Monday, May 23 at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will be conducted via Zoom. 

Future board meeting dates are August 16 at 5:00 p.m. and December 8 at 10:00 a.m. Meeting details will be provided in future newsletters.

May is Preeclampsia Awareness Month. Approximately 76,000 women worldwide die each year. As we continue our focus on maternal mortality, we encourage you to share facts that help with understanding the symptoms and risk factors. 

For more information, visit the Preeclampsia Foundation website.