PNQIN Summit Awardees

PNQIN Clinical Team Award: Tufts Medicine Lowell General Hospital Perinatal Mental Health Team

This award recognizes a clinical team that has shown outstanding success in implementing QI initiatives to improve perinatal health. The multidisciplinary Lowell General Perinatal Mental Health Team has demonstrated their dedication to equitable health care practice by building an initiative that focuses on education, awareness and strategies to decrease the incidence of harm due to mental health disorders in the community. So far, they have designed and implemented an educational program that all staff on the Labor and Delivery, Mother-Infant, Special Care Nursery and Pediatric Units completed and is now included in orientation for all new MCH staff. They also worked collaboratively with the Tufts marketing department and their weekly Mothers Support Group to design a magnet along with a patient handout that provides critical information and resources for perinatal mental health conditions. 

In the words of the team’s nominator “There is nothing more powerful to motivate and engage staff in quality initiatives than a true story of success. On the first week of a piloted launch[…], we received a phone call at 2am on the postpartum floor of a recently discharged mother that stated she was having “intrusive thoughts” to harm herself or her infant. Staff were able to quickly intervene and connect her with an OB hospitalist and ultimately get her to the ER for help. This story resonated so deeply with our team that we officially launched our program on November 4, 2024, so that all patients prenatal and up to one year postpartum will receive the magnet, resources and education.” 

PNQIN Clinical Team Award: Boston Medical Center Obstetric Hemorrhage Health Equity Quality Improvement Project Team

This award recognizes a clinical team that has shown outstanding success in implementing QI initiatives to improve perinatal health. The OB Hemorrhage Health Equity QI Project used a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to standardize hemorrhage management steps, integrate key health equity measures, and collect patient feedback – towards the aim of decreasing blood transfusions for Black patients delivering at their hospital by 30% by 12/31/24. Although this aim has not yet been reached, a favorable and possibly related outcome was achieved when BMC saw a 50% reduction in ICU admissions for Black patients from 2019 to 2024.  

In the words of the team’s nominators “This team is a prime candidate for this award as their unwavering commitment to reducing racial disparities in patient care is not only commendable but also inspiring. This team has worked extensively over several years to improve health equity in obstetrical hemorrhage management including multiple QI projects that dovetailed into one aim… The team has remained deeply committed to this project adapting to the new circumstances and continuing to build upon the culture of excellence that Dr. Iverson had instilled in us all.” 

PNQIN Innovation Award: Boston Medical Center OBGYN Integrated Behavioral Health Program

This award recognizes an individual or team that has demonstrated success in addressing unique challenges related to perinatal health using innovative strategies with a focus on equity. 

The BMC Integrated Behavioral Health Program incorporates interdisciplinary collaboration, stratified care, hybrid telehealth, and trauma-informed, culturally adapted approaches to significantly enhance access to perinatal mental health care for historically underserved populations. Currently, the program receives an average of 46 new referrals per month and schedules approximately 300 visits monthly. Looking ahead, the program aims to expand its impact by establishing a patient advisory board and provide guidance to pediatrics and NICU colleagues to expand perinatal behavioral health screening in these settings. 

In the words of their nominator, “By embedding mental health services within the OBGYN department, the program strives to remove barriers to care, increase engagement, and improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum individuals. The OB IBH model represents a replicable strategy for integrating mental health care into perinatal services and has the potential to transform maternal mental health outcomes for the most vulnerable populations.” 

PNQIN Diop Award: Dr. Meg Parker

This award recognizes an individual with a long-standing record of impacting perinatal care at the state, regional, or national level and was named for our inaugural recipient, Dr. Hafsatou Diop, for her steadfast and visionary leadership in maternal and child health.  

Dr. Parker is the Academic Chief of Neonatology and an attending neonatologist at UMass Memorial Medical Center and a professor of pediatrics at UMass Chan Medical School. She is a nationally-recognized leader in perinatal health services research, health equity, and quality improvement, and has led multiple QI initiatives at multiple levels, including at her institutions, across the state of Massachusetts, and in national organizations. The success of her human milk project spurred the Kellogg Foundation to support expansion into Louisiana and Mississippi, two states challenged with particularly low rates of human milk use. Further, Dr. Parker’s efforts over the years have supported PNQIN in becoming an academic and sustainable organization with a national reputation for leadership in equity. 

In the words of her nominators “Dr. Parker has been a pioneer in perinatal quality improvement. Regularly, she has targeted processes and outcomes in her improvement efforts that had drawn little attention before her work, but then subsequently became hot topics in the perinatal improvement community[…]. She is not content to develop improvement initiatives targeting common or “low-hanging” fruit; rather, she continuously seeks to identify and improve the more challenging areas of care.” 

“I was excited to work with a physician who was focused on family centered-care, family engagement, and committed to partnering with families so much so that she had asked someone with lived experience to participate at a leadership level.” 

“I have never met another leader who cares so profoundly about equity and inclusion, nor anyone who translates that passion into actionable, lasting change quite as effectively as her.” 

PNQIN Hospital Team Award: Anna Jaques Hospital

This award recognizes a hospital team that has shown outstanding success in implementing QI initiatives to improve perinatal health. Anna Jaques has demonstrated their dedication to equitable health care practice through the creation of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and the implementation of staff training for gender diversity and trauma informed care. Their team collaboration extends to monthly meetings, participation in PNQIN initiatives, data submission for multiple AIM bundles, and ensuring equity training is given to every new staff and provider upon hire.

In the words of their nominator “Our [DEI Council] goals for 2024 include updating our practice and hospital website with… anti-racism statement and inclusive language, at least 50% of providers and staff trained on unconscious bias, and adding a community member with lived experience representing our patient population. We are proud of our continued participation in PNQIN and appreciative of the collaboration from PNQIN and other birthing hospitals.”

PNQIN Hospital Team Award: Southcoast New Beginnings Moms Do Care Team

Again, this award recognizes a hospital team that has shown outstanding success in implementing QI initiatives to improve perinatal health. The New Beginnings program serves the needs of pregnant and birthing people impacted by substance use and follows patients from pregnancy to three years postpartum to promote optimal outcomes for families. The program serves a region in which these services are greatly needed; as noted in Southcoast Health’s most recent Community Health Needs Assessment, Fall River and New Bedford are overrepresented in opioid deaths statewide. 

In the words of the team’s nominator “Our focus on continuous, data-driven process improvement and our commitment to developing and sustaining community relationships have helped us to build a robust program. As Executive Director, I have the privilege of overseeing the work of the Nurse Team Leader and exceptional multidisciplinary team, dedicated to this work with continued focus on Quality Improvement measures. Their story encompasses 9 years of persistent care and support including participation with PNQIN and the utilization of data to inform care delivery.” 

PNQIN Innovation Award: Baystate BESIDE Team and Springfield Family Doulas

This award recognizes an individual or team that has demonstrated success in addressing unique challenges related to perinatal health using innovative strategies with a focus on equity.  

The BESIDE program stands for Birth Equity and Support through the Inclusion of Doula Expertise. Launched in 2021 and funded by an award from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, this partnership between doulas, midwives, researchers, and the surrounding patient community successfully matched doulas with 54 Black birthers, identified and addressed barriers to doula practice, and implemented policy and system changes to support the inclusion of doulas in the perinatal care team. Additionally, Springfield Family Doulas conducted over 20 community events to disseminate information about doula care and trained nine women of color as doulas, exponentially increasing the doula workforce in greater Springfield.” 

In the words of their nominator, “[Springfield Family Doulas] showed great courage and resilience in their willingness to pioneer working in a hospital environment that was, at times, confusing or unwelcoming. Through their hard work and tenacity, attitudes and systems meaningfully changed, and the groundwork has been laid to expand the role of doulas for Black birthers in Springfield.” 

PNQIN Patient & Family Advocacy Award: Jacqueline Caceres

This award recognizes an individual or family that has demonstrated a commitment to addressing issues and inequities in perinatal health through advocacy and sharing lived experiences. Jacqueline is a Community Outreach Worker and Doula at Mount Auburn Hospital and Charles River Community Health Center, as well as a native Spanish speaker and immigrant to the United States. In her role, she acts as an important cultural ambassador and connects patients to resources and services for food, housing, behavioral health, and domestic violence programs. As a doula, Jacqueline also helps patients navigate an unfamiliar medical system and has sat with them in some of their most joyful and most heartbreaking moments. Furthermore, she facilitates weekly postpartum support groups for Spanish speakers and a yearly remembrance ceremony (in both English and Spanish) through the Mount Auburn Bereavement Committee. 

In the words of her nominators “Jacqui has been an invaluable member of our obstetrical care team for the last decade. Our whole department knows to call Jacqui whenever we have a patient in need because she will not only provide every patient with the support they need in the pregnancy period, but will additionally do this with warmth, dignity, and compassion.” 

PNQIN Diop Award: Linda Jablonski

This award recognizes an individual with a long-standing record of impacting perinatal care at the state, regional, or national level and was named for our inaugural recipient, Dr. Hafsatou Diop, for her steadfast and visionary leadership in maternal and child health.  

Linda was an Obstetrical Nurse, Assistant Nurse Manager and Nursing Educator at Baystate Franklin Medical Center for over 35 years and was the founder and Chair of the Franklin County Perinatal Support Coalition for over 10 years. As the Program Director for the Moms Do Care-EMPOWER program in Greenfield, MA, Linda has demonstrated expertise, strong commitment, and outstanding leadership in developing a culture of connection, communication, and organizational relationship-building across the state.   

In the words of her nominators “Linda’s dedication and diligence has changed the perinatal experience for the most vulnerable members of our community for decades. If you sit on or observe the work of a Perinatal Support Coalition or are involved in a Plan of Safe Care, this is likely the legacy of Linda Jablonski. Linda’s nomination is proudly supported by the entire Moms Do Care Empower Team and Franklin County Perinatal Coalition, and we are sure, by countless parents and children (some now adults), throughout our County.” 

PNQIN Hospital Team Award: UMass Maternity Center Team

This award recognizes a hospital team that has shown outstanding success in implementing QI initiatives to improve perinatal health. It is truly amazing to see what can be accomplished when a dedicated team works together – especially this team focused on quality improvement, patient and provider experience, and equity. The accomplishments in the year prior to receiving this award were numerous, and included implementation of multiple AIM bundles, Equity M&Ms, doula support, TeamBirth, and a 24/7 OB Anesthesia team.

The nominator for this team submitted compelling materials that demonstrated their engagement with PNQIN and relentless pursuit of quality improvement, optimized patient and provider experience and outcomes, and equity.

PNQIN Innovation Award: Boston Medical Center Equity In Pregnancy (EIP) Program Team

This award recognizes an individual or team that has demonstrated success in addressing unique challenges related to perinatal health using innovative strategies with a focus on equity.  The EIP Initiative uses a comprehensive program strategy based on performance data analytics with an equity focus and community engagement from inception. Interventions across three focus areas have already started to positively affect the community and lay the foundation for meaningful change, including preliminary data showing a 40% reduction in readmissions related to hypertension.  

The team’s nominators submitted compelling materials that demonstrated their dedication to improving the clinical and experiential outcomes of patients in their hospital system and community, thus laying the foundation for positive and meaningful change. 

PNQIN Innovation Award: INSPiRE (Integrating Narratives of SUD Treatment in the Perinatal period: A focus on Race and Equity) Team

This award recognizes an individual or team that has demonstrated success in addressing unique challenges related to perinatal health using innovative strategies with a focus on equity.  Recognizing the scarcity of opioid-related perinatal research that addressed race or racism, the team’s project aimed to understanding the perspective of pregnant, parenting, and postpartum people of color impacted by substance use disorder. Patients with lived experience and community members were a critical part of planning, design, implementation and evaluation. The team’s innovative methods will redefine approaches to equity-focused collaborative quality improvement. 

The team’s nominators submitted compelling materials that demonstrated their exemplary leadership in integrating patients with lived experience into a quality improvement project team and trying to understand how racism and discrimination at the systems level has impacted postpartum people of color with substance use disorder.

PNQIN Patient & Family Advocacy Award: Mirlande Thermidor

This award recognizes an individual or family that has demonstrated a commitment to addressing issues and inequities in perinatal health through advocacy and sharing lived experiences. Driven by her lived experience, Mirlande joined our NICU in the role of breastfeeding peer counselor and social needs navigator with the goal of providing culturally competent lactation care to mothers of premature infants during the challenging NICU hospitalization. Mirlande has earned the trust of families and the respect of the entire multidisciplinary NICU team. One NICU family that Mirlande worked with can be quoted as saying: “With Mirlande I felt at ease, like I could share how I was feeling and what I was going through. She gave me hope.” 

Her nominator submitted compelling materials that demonstrated her ability to use her lived experience to inform, inspire, and partner with others to amplify survivor voices, provide services, and effect systems-level changes for the liberation and health equity of all.

PNQIN Patient & Family Advocacy Award: Nicole Bell

This award recognizes an individual or family that has demonstrated a commitment to addressing issues and inequities in perinatal health through advocacy and sharing lived experiences. As a survivor of the sex trade, Nikki founded Living in Freedom Together (LIFT), a non-profit committed to ending the sex trade and systems of prostitution. She is a vocal advocate for human-centered care in the healthcare field and a leader in the fight for liberation from oppression and health equity for all. In less than a decade, she has started to make real change in the way policies and practices are designed and implemented for survivors of the sex trade and people in recovery from substance use disorder. 

Nikki’s nominator submitted compelling materials that demonstrated her ability to use her lived experience to inform, inspire, and partner with others to amplify survivor voices, provide services, and effect systems-level changes for the liberation and health equity of all.

PNQIN Diop Award: Dr. Audra R. Meadows

This award recognizes an individual with a long-standing record of impacting perinatal care at the state, regional, or national level and was named for our inaugural recipient, Dr. Hafsatou Diop, for her steadfast and visionary leadership in maternal and child health.  

Dr. Meadows is a practicing OB/GYN, health equity champion, educator, and researcher. Dr. Meadows’ efforts and leadership have influenced local, regional, and national public health practice through established programs, education of peers and trainees, and established policy. In her roles, she establishes and builds relationships to generate the political will necessary to succeed in Maternal and Child Health quality improvement endeavors. The impact of her vision and leadership cannot be overstated. 

Her nominators submitted compelling materials that demonstrated her expertise, strong commitment, and outstanding leadership in maternal, newborn, and family health in Massachusetts and significant contributions to perinatal quality improvement across the United States. This prestigious award is a well-deserved recognition of her contribution to the health and well-being of mothers and babies in our state and the rest of the country.  

PNQIN Team Award: Arielle Wallen, LICSW

Arielle Wallen’s nominators submitted compelling materials that demonstrated her creativity, dedication, and knowledge in serving families impacted by substance use disorder and initiating culture change at Beverly Hospital, and in particular her leadership and support of her patients and colleagues during the COVID-19 pandemic. This award is a well-deserved recognition of her contribution to the health and well-being of mothers and babies in Massachusetts. 

PNQIN Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Norma Finkelstein

Dr. Finkelstein’s nominators submitted compelling materials that demonstrated her steadfast leadership of the Institute for Health and Recovery and her compassion, mentorship, and lifelong dedication to improving care, outcomes, and experiences for families impacted by substance use disorder. This prestigious award is a well-deserved recognition of her contribution to the health and well-being of mothers and babies in our state and the rest of the country.

PNQIN Diop Award: Dr. Munish Gupta

This award recognizes an individual with a long-standing record of impacting perinatal care at the state, regional, or national level and was named for our inaugural recipient, Dr. Hafsatou Diop, for her steadfast and visionary leadership in maternal and child health.  

Dr. Gupta’s nominators submitted compelling materials that demonstrated his expertise, strong commitment, and outstanding leadership in maternal, newborn, and family health in Massachusetts and significant contributions to perinatal quality improvement across the United States. This prestigious award is a well-deserved recognition of his contribution to the health and well-being of mothers and babies in our state and the rest of the country.