Memorial Maternity Unit Receives Statewide Award

Family Maternity Suites at Springfield Memorial Hospital has been recognized by the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC) as a recipient of the 2025 Illinois Birthing Hospital Quality Excellence Award.

The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to providing safe, high-quality maternity care for mothers and babies. ILPQC is a statewide network founded in 2012 that works to improve maternity care and reduce maternal and infant mortality across Illinois.

The Illinois Birthing Hospital Quality Designation Program was created by ILPQC to recognize hospitals focused on meeting the needs of all patients, regardless of race, socioeconomic background, or other factors. The program is funded through a grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Special Beginnings Maternal and Infant Health initiative.

“This designation is a result of more than three years of work by the Family Maternity Suites team to make sure they’re meeting the needs of all our patients,” said Jennifer Bond, Springfield Memorial Hospital’s chief nursing officer. “That includes holding events to gather feedback on the patient experience, as well as promoting initiatives that drive equitable and respectful care to reduce disparities and help babies get a safe start in life.”

In 2024, Family Maternity Suites received two quality excellence awards from ILPQC, along with a mini-grant that supported nurse education, labor-support tools, and other resources. The designation program also recognizes the unit’s long-term efforts to improve birth equity and reduce the rate of primary cesarean sections.

While cesarean sections can be medically necessary in certain situations, they are associated with higher risks of complications in future pregnancies. ILPQC supports hospitals in encouraging vaginal births when it is safe for both mothers and babies.

“The well-being of the families we serve is at the heart of everything we do,” said Jessica Weirich, a registered nurse in Family Maternity Suites who helped lead the work alongside Dr. Tara Bennett, chair of the OB-GYN department at Springfield Memorial Hospital. “We’ve created new partnerships in our community that are helping us make sure mothers and babies in Springfield are getting the support they need during their pregnancy, delivery and beyond.”

As part of its efforts, Family Maternity Suites screens patients during their hospital stay to identify needs that may be addressed through community resources. The unit also conducts patient surveys and hosts annual Respectful Care events to gather feedback on how care can be improved. Recent initiatives have included implementing policies to make the unit more welcoming to doulas.

“It’s encouraging to receive this statewide recognition,” Bond said. “It shows that the work the Family Maternity Suites team is doing behind the scenes is having a real impact on the lives of families in Springfield and central Illinois.”