Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services Act

S. 116: MOMs Act: Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health

• Involvement of stakeholders and organizations (Gillibrand, 2019).
• State assistance in improving maternal health (Gillibrand, 2019).
• Reduction in variation in maternal care standards (Gillibrand, 2019).
• Primarily data-driven and evidence-based practices (Gillibrand, 2019).
• Elimination of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity (Gillibrand, 2019).
• Implementation of best practices for maternal safety (Gillibrand, 2019).

S. 116: MOMs Act: Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Prevention Grant Program

• Medical facilities are allowed to use grants to buy equipment (Gillibrand, 2019).
• Funds may be used for staff training to match new standards (Gillibrand, 2019).
• Facilities with a mortality review committee are prioritized in funds distribution (Gillibrand, 2019).
• Prioritization of facilities serving low-income, at-risk, and rural populations (Gillibrand, 2019).
• Reports on the implementation are needed after two years (Gillibrand, 2019).
• Reports should be publicly available after one year (Gillibrand, 2019).

Impact on Nursing Practice Standards if Passed

• Therapeutic communication for mental health assessment in mothers and pregnant women.
• Heightened presence before, during, and after birth.
• Prompt identification of maternal venous and thromboembolism.
• Enhanced care in the case of obstetric hemorrhage.
• We are ensuring equally respectful treatment of minority groups and the elimination of any discriminating behaviors.
• We are participating in the review of mortality and morbidity rates.

Impact on Nursing Practice Standards if not Passed

• Use of state legislation on pregnancy and maternity.
• Maintenance of current nursing practice standards.
• Use of established practices in a given medical facility.
• Use of usual government funds for equipment and continuing education.
• They are ensuring that employees meet educational requirements to work in obstetric nursing.
• Monitoring and health assessment as prescribed in a given medical facility.

Impact on My Own Nursing Practice if Passed

• Nurses study new legislation closely.
• Nurses compare established practices to those prescribed by the new standards.
• Nurses learn how to use new equipment.
• Participation in staff training on preventing morbidity and mortality.
• We are communicating the importance of care to patients.
• We are educating colleagues and exposing violations.

Impact on My Own Nursing Practice if not Passed

• Nurses use practices compliant with current legislation.
• Nurses uphold the existing federal standards of prenatal and postnatal care.
• Use of existing equipment for birth assistance and monitoring.
• Nurses uphold the standards set at a given medical facility.
• Nurses make an effort to address mortality and morbidity in pregnant women and mothers based on their knowledge and existing standards.

Communication-Based on Nursing Practice

• Communication-based on evidence-based practice.
• Plenums for discussing complicated cases.
• Communication of changes to nursing practice.
• Staff training about the use of the new equipment.
• Heightened surveillance of complicated cases.
• Encouragement of communication between nurses and discussion of best practices enlisted in S. 116: MOMs Act.

Communication-Based on Nursing Standards

• Arrangement of meetings at medical facilities for communicating nursing standards.
• Observation of colleagues in action and discussion of new standards application.
• Continuing education on leading causes of maternal mortality.
• I am revising labor assistance standards to reduce primary cesarean birth.
• Diversity training to address the issue of racism and other types of discrimination.
• I am revising nursing assistance in the case of prenatal, birth, and postnatal complications.

Communication-Based on Nurse-Patient Outcomes

• Alarming mortality rate: 20 deaths per 100,000 births (America’s Health Rankings, 2018).
• Many women receive little to no prenatal and postnatal care (Lassi, Mansoor, Salam, Das & Bhutta, 2014).
• Hospitals and birthing centers gather statistics on nurse-patient outcomes.
• Nurses hold meetings to communicate statistics on outcomes.
• Two-sided, continuous communication with mortality review committees.
• The need to improve nurse-patient outcomes is communicated regularly based on recent research within a facility.

Impact on the Community

• Improved prenatal care for women in the community.
• Women have fewer concerns regarding pregnancy complications due to enhanced prenatal care.
• Pregnant women’s and mothers’ mental health is stable due to the presence of a support system.
• Pregnant women can count on legal support in the case of a negative health outcome.
• Women have a better understanding of their rights and liberties.
• Women are more aware of the changes in legislation and can make well-informed decisions.

References

America’s Health Rankings. (2018). Maternal mortality in United States in 2018. Web.

Gillibrand, K. (2019). S. 116: MOMS Act. Web.

Lassi, Z. S., Mansoor, T., Salam, R. A., Das, J. K., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2014). Essential pre-pregnancy and pregnancy interventions for improved maternal, newborn and child health. Reproductive Health, 11 (Suppl 1), S2.