CGH Medical Center in Sterling has been named a recipient of the inaugural Illinois Birthing Hospital Quality Excellence Award, presented by the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative and funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Special Beginnings Program.

This first-year designation honors birthing hospitals across the state that have demonstrated meaningful progress in improving safety, equity and patient experience in maternal and newborn care.

This recognition highlights the collaborative efforts of the nurses, providers and community partners in advancing equitable, high-quality perinatal care. By adopting ILPQC’s evidence-based practices, CGH has seen measurable gains in reducing unnecessary cesarean births; addressing disparities; and promoting respectful, patient-centered care, according to a news release. As a recipient of this award, CGH will receive $20,000 from ILPQC to further strengthen obstetric quality-improvement efforts.

“We are incredibly proud to be the only hospital in the Sauk Valley to receive this recognition,” said Sarah Alvarez-Brown, vice president and chief nursing officer. “This award reflects the dedication of our obstetrics team and our commitment to giving every family the best care possible. It also speaks to the strong partnerships we’ve built with our patients and community, which are essential to sustaining quality improvement over time.”

CGH achieved this recognition by meeting all required ILPQC performance criteria, including:

• active participation in ILPQC initiatives and statewide learning collaboratives
• full staff completion of training on implicit bias, trauma-informed care, respectful care and shared decision-making
• meaningful engagement with patients, doulas and community partners, including collecting patient feedback, screening all patients for social determinants of health and linking them to needed services
• data-driven improvement in maintaining a primary cesarean section rate at or below the national Healthy People 2030 goal of 23.6% (for low-risk patients giving birth for the first time)
• equitable outcomes across all stratified groups – including race, ethnicity and insurance status – to ensure consistent and fair care for every patient
• integration of sustainability and continuous quality-improvement practices into daily workflows

“Receiving this award is incredibly meaningful for our team,” said Jennifer Behrens, assistant nurse manager of OB. “We take pride in supporting families with compassion, respect and teamwork. Knowing that our work truly impacts mothers and babies in our community is incredibly rewarding.”

About the birthing center at CGH

Each year, the CGH team helps welcome about 550 babies into the world in a comfortable, state-of-the-art environment designed for safety and support. Every mother receives one-on-one nursing care during labor, and CGH’s expert OB nurses, pediatricians and family practice physicians continue that care after birth.

Learn more about what makes CGH Medical Center a special place to welcome a baby at cghmc.com/services/birthing-center.