ACOG’s AIM Program established to make an impact
The AIM Program (www.safehealthcare foreverywoman.org) is bringing together clinicians, public health officials, hospital administrators, patient safety organizations, and advocates to eliminate preventable maternal mortality throughout the United States. With funding and support from the US Health Resources and Services Administration, AIM is striving to:
- reduce maternal mortality by 1,000 deaths by 2018
- reduce severe maternal morbidity
- assist states and hospitals to improve outcomes
- create and encourage use of maternal safety bundles (evidence-based tool kits to guide the best care).
AIM offers participating physicians and hospitals online learning modules, checklists, work plans, and links to tool kits and published resources. Implementation data is shared with hospitals and states to further improve care. Physicians participating in AIM can receive Part IV maintenance of certification; continuing education units will soon be offered for nurses. In the future, AIM-participating hospitals may be able to receive reduced liability protection costs, too.
To date, 17 states are participating in the AIM initiative (FIGURE 3), with more states ready to enroll.4 States must demonstrate a commitment to lasting change to participate. Each AIM state must have an active maternal mortality review committee (MMRC); committed leadership from public health, hospital associations, and provider associations; and a commitment to report AIM data.
AIM thus far has released 9 obstetric patient safety bundles, including:
- reducing disparities in maternity care
- severe hypertension in pregnancy
- safe reduction of primary cesarean birth
- prevention of venous thromboembolism
- obstetric hemorrhage
- maternal mental health
- patient, family, and staff support following a severe maternal event
- postpartum care basics
- obstetric care of women with opioid use disorder (in use by Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia).