Christ Hospital - Mt. Auburn Hospital

At The Christ Hospital Health Network, we understand women face different health challenges decade by decade and our experts can guide you through each transition. With more than 125 years of maternity care experience and recognition as one of the top 50 hospitals in the nation for gynecology by U.S. News & World Report in 2017, you can trust us to deliver the experience you want—with the expert care you deserve.

Maternal Care
- Family Birthing Centers
- Your choice of obstetrician, certified nurse midwife or family doctor
- Preconception Care
- Prenatal Care
- Breastfeeding Support
- Childbirth and Parenting Education

Infant Care
- Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Services (NICU)

Mama Certification

Infant Care

Hospitals are awarded points for their certification based on guidelines that assign each metric a point value, which is split into parts based on the sub-questions in each metric. Hospitals receive points by sharing some or all of the metrics data.

View Full report

METRICS	FINDINGS	PROGRESS
Health Equity on Race & Ethnicity Infant mortality rates are substantially higher for Black infants than for White infants in the United States. In 2021, Black babies were nearly 5 times more likely to die than White babies. Health disparities are preventable poor health outcomes experienced by populations disadvantaged by their social or economic status, geographic location, and environment. By monitoring health outcomes by race and ethnicity, hospital facilities can adapt processes and policies to provide more equitable quality care and improve the health outcomes of their patient populations.	The hospital facility has tracking in place to address racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes related to infant care. The hospital has the ability to stratify by race. Currently, there are no policies or procedures in place for root cause analysis that recognizes patient race/ ethnicity. The hospital can do this in the future. Actions are currently not being taken to address any disparities in health outcomes. The hospital can do this in the future.
Breastfeeding Breastfeeding boosts the immune system and brain development, reduces the risk of infection, and reduces the risk of infant mortality. Racial disparities in breastfeeding rates can have a significant impact on infant health outcomes. Studies have found that Black mothers are less likely to initiate breastfeeding than their White counterparts and are more likely to stop breastfeeding before their infant is six months old. The national rate of exclusive breastfeeding in 2019 is 62.6%. Ohio’s rate of exclusive breastfeeding in 2021 is 51.7%.	The percentage of babies exclusively breastfed or fed breast milk while the newborn is at the hospital facility is above the 2021 Ohio Rate of 51.7%. The hospital facility does not currently track its race and ethnicity specific to exclusive breast milk feeding. However, the hospital facility can do this in the future. The hospital facility has received five stars from Ohio First Steps for Healthy Babies breastfeeding program and is designated Baby-Friendly. The hospital facility has received four stars from Ohio First Steps for Healthy Babies breastfeeding program. The hospital facility does participate in the Ohio First Steps for Healthy Babies breastfeeding program. This facility has achieved Four-star Baby-Friendly status. The hospital promotes, protects and supports breastfeeding in their organization through robust donor breastmilk program.
Unexpected Complications in Term Newborns The most important childbirth outcome for families is bringing home a healthy baby. While there have been measures developed to assess clinical practices and outcomes in preterm infants, there is a lack of metrics that assess the health outcomes of term infants who represent over 90% of all births. No existing national or Ohio baseline data exists yet for this metric as it is defined by the Joint Commission. The overall local rate for newborns with severe complications and moderate complications from eight hospital-based birthing facilities in Butler and Hamilton County in 2021 is 2.59%.	Newborn complications at this facility are lower than the 2021 Hamilton and Butler County average of 2.59% This hospital facility has the ability to track disparities by race and ethnicity in this category but does not do so at this time. The hospital can do this in the future.
Safe Sleep Safe sleep is important because it helps to reduce the risk of sudden unexplained infant death (SUID). It is recommended that babies sleep on their back, in a crib or bassinet that meets current safety standards and is free of loose bedding, pillows, and stuffed animals. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a well-known category of SUID. Racial disparities in sleep-related infant deaths are significant and contribute to the overall disparity in infant mortality rates. Black infants are more than twice as likely to die from a SUID as White infants.	The hospital facility implements a safe sleep screening procedure. Yes, the hospital implements a safe sleep screening procedure that is provided during discharge planning and education. The hospital provides infants with a safe crib using its own resources. This facility participates has Gold level accreditation with Cribs for Kids. The hospital has implemented safe sleeping focused practices that include: delivered safe sleep healthcare team member training to nursing staff caring for patients less than one-year-old; provides safe sleep education to family/caregivers of infants less than one year old; identifies families needing a safe sleeping space and provided resources; distributes hospital-wide wearable blanket distribution (in-house use and/or gifted to infants less than one year); assigns Cribs for Kids Hospital-wide Safe Sleep Training Module to every hospital employee; identifies at-risk family/caregivers in need of infant safe sleep spaces and distributes safe sleep spaces before discharge.
Mama Certified Promotion The Mama Certified badge is a symbol of commitment and trust that should be present during a mom’s entire birthing journey, from prenatal care to postpartum support. For bringing about change, visibility and repetition is key. These visual reminders are not only important for moms but also for staff.	The hospital facility demonstrates its public commitment to Mama Certified through the distribution of physical, digital and portable communication tools. The hospital will utilize Mama Certified signage and digital tools.
Training & Staff Engagement Training helps hospital staff recognize that biases exist and helps them take steps to reduce the impact of those biases on workplace interactions and decisions.	The hospital facility has participated in training and engagement of staff as it relates to Mama Certified. The majority (more than 50%) of Women's Health and OBGYN staff have participated in the online ‘Intro to Mama Certified’ training offered by Cradle Cincinnati. The majority (more than 50%) of Women's Health and OBGYN staff have participated in implicit bias training offered through the hospital system. Implicit bias training is provided to staff by The Christ Hospital via annual training. Two members of hospital facility leadership serve on the Cradle Cincinnati Learning Collaborative Circle of Advisors.
Center the Voices of Patients with Lived Experiences with Queens Village Centering the voices of those with lived experiences is essential for creating a more inclusive, equitable, and empathetic society. It fosters a culture of listening, learning, and empathy, ultimately leading to better outcomes for all members of society.	The hospital facility will meet with Cradle Cincinnati and Queens Village to outline opportunities to co-create strategies supporting equitable maternal and infant care. The hospital facility will collaborate with Queens Village to co-create strategies supporting equitable maternal and infant health.
Pathways to Improvement Crafting strategies to improve maternal and infant health is essential for driving systemic change by enabling targeted interventions, fostering collaboration and engagement, facilitating learning and adaptation, and building momentum for sustained impact. It provides a structured approach to addressing complex systemic issues and achieving meaningful and lasting transformation.	The hospital facility has outlined the following strategies to improve maternal and infant health. Increase coordination between healthcare systems and social services to screen, refer, and follow up on patient's health related social needs in order to ensure mother's have basic safety needs for self and neonate prior to discharge. Increase the number of racially and ethnically diverse students in the healthcare education pipeline in order to promote trust of healthcare systems and providers. Increase healthcare workforce diversity for key positions in order to promote trust of healthcare systems and providers. The hospital is designated baby friendly and has received magnet accrediation.
	The hospital facility received 81.3% of the measurable points for the Infant Care Focus Area.	81.3%

Maternal Care

Hospitals are awarded points for their certification based on guidelines that assign each metric a point value, which is split into parts based on the sub-questions in each metric. Hospitals receive points by sharing some or all of the metrics data.

view full report

METRICS	FINDINGS	PROGRESS
Health Equity on Race & Ethnicity Black mothers die at more than two and half times the rate of other mothers in Ohio (Ohio Department of Health, 2020) regardless of their parents´ socio-economic status or health behaviors. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities, such as variations in quality healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias. Health disparities are preventable disparate outcomes to optimal health experienced by populations disadvantaged by their social or economic status, geographic location, and environment. By doing so, hospitals can adapt processes and policies to provide more equitable quality care and improve the health outcomes of their patient populations.	The hospital facility tracks Maternal Health performance measures by race and ethnicity. The hospital facility tracks its race and ethnicity specific performance on maternal performance measures for which racial and ethnic disparities may exist. There is not a policy or procedure in place for root cause analysis that recognizes patient race/ ethnicity related to maternal care. The hospital facility has the ability to do so in the future. There are not currently actions being taken to address disparities in health outcomes related to maternal care by currently collecting race/ethnicity data to identify disparities. The hospital facility has the ability to do so in the future.
Scheduled Early Delivery (Elective Delivery) The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services has identified this measure as a key area to improve maternal and infant health. By providing care to pregnant individuals that follows best practices that advance health care quality, safety, and equity, hospitals and doctors can improve chances for a safe delivery and a healthy baby. Guidelines developed by doctors and researchers say it’s best to wait until the 39th completed week of pregnancy to deliver the baby because important fetal development takes place in the baby’s brain and lungs during the last few weeks of pregnancy. The national average rate of elective deliveries in 2022 is 2%. The Ohio average rate of elective deliveries in 2022 is 2%.	The rate of elective deliveries at this hospital is lower than the Ohio 2022 average of 2%. This hospital facility has the ability to track disparities in this area by race and ethnicity.
Low-Risk Cesarean Births Cesarean deliveries place birthing individuals and infants at higher risk for adverse outcomes. Reducing the rate of cesarean births for individuals at low risk from a vaginal birth provides an opportunity to improve both maternal and infant health.	The rate of low-risk cesarean is higher than the 2021 Ohio Average Rate of 26.3%*.
Birthing-Friendly Hospital The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services has identified this measure as a key area to improve maternal and infant health. Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative programs can help reduce racial disparities in maternal health outcomes by promoting access to evidence-based practices, providing education and training on racial disparities and health disparities, and engaging with communities to create culturally sensitive care models.	The hospital facility has met the criteria to be recognized as birthing friendly. Hospital facility participates in a statewide and/or national perinatal quality improvement collaborative program aimed at improving maternal outcomes during inpatient labor, delivery, and postpartum care. Hospital facility has implemented patient safety practices or bundles related to maternal morbidity to address complications, including, but limited to, hemorrhage, severe hypertension/preeclampsia or sepsis. Hospital facility participates in Ohio Department of Health Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health (AIM) Project in Hypertension and Hemorrhage projects as well as Babies First Steps. Patient safety practices that this hospital facility participate in include Maternal Hypertension; Obstetrical Hemorrhage, Breastfeeding, Sepsis; Reduction of NTSV (low-risk cesarean).
Smoking Cessation Support Smoking cessation is important to maternal health because smoking can cause serious health risks for pregnant people and their babies. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, and birth defects. Additionally, smoking can lead to a host of other health problems including increased risk of miscarriage, increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, and increased risk of placenta previa. Quitting smoking before or during pregnancy can help reduce these risks and ensure a healthier pregnancy.	The hospital facility provides smoking cessation resources for women and birthing people. The Hospital Facility provides smoking cessation resources for women and birthing people including NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) patch, referral to Ohio Quitline, referral to Quit Now Kentucky and tobacco cessation booklet.
Postpartum Mental Health Perinatal depression, which includes major and minor depressive episodes that occur during pregnancy or in the first 12 months after delivery, is one of the most common medical complications during pregnancy and the postpartum period, affecting one in seven women. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that obstetrician–gynecologists and other obstetric care providers screen patients at least once during the perinatal period for depression and anxiety symptoms using a standardized, validated tool. Postpartum depression (PPD) affects one in eight women; however, the risk is 1.6 times higher for Black women than White women. Black women are less likely to receive help due to factors such as financial barriers, stigma associated with mental health struggles, structural racism and a historical mistrust of the health care system. Maternal mental health symptoms and issues among Black women are often overlooked and under-addressed.	The hospital facility provides perinatal depression screening and referral services. The Hospital provides perinatal depression screening and referral services using the Edinburgh depression screening tool and referral as needed.
Postpartum Family Planning Postpartum family planning is the process of planning for the future of a family after the birth of a child. This includes discussing and deciding on contraception, spacing of pregnancies, and other family planning options. Postpartum family planning is important for maternal health because it helps to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancies and the associated health risks. It also helps to ensure that women have the time and resources to recover from childbirth and to bond with their newborns. Additionally, postpartum family planning can help to reduce the risk of maternal mortality and morbidity, as well as to improve the overall health of mothers and their families.	The hospital facility´s physician group discusses family planning and contraceptive counseling with patients in an outpatient setting. The hospital does provide patients with options for family planning and contraceptive counseling at their postpartum visits by offering LARC (Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive), OCPs (Oral contraceptive pills) and Nexplanon.
Access to Early Prenatal Care Early prenatal care can reduce risks for complications related to pregnancy or birth. Early identification can ensure that women with complex problems, chronic illnesses, or other risks are connected to appropriate specialists. Early high-quality prenatal care is critical to improving pregnancy outcomes.	The hospital facility collects information on early prenatal care. 82.75% of women who gave birth at this hospital facility received a prenatal care visit in the first trimester at this facility.  Hospital Facility collects information on early prenatal care through patient interviews and birth registrar.
Patient Satisfaction By collecting patient feedback, hospitals can identify areas of improvement and make necessary changes to ensure the delivery experience is as positive as possible. Collecting patient satisfaction related to the experience of care during labor and delivery can help reduce racial disparities by providing insights into the quality of care received by people from different racial backgrounds, allowing hospitals to identify and address disparities. By understanding the unique challenges faced by different racial groups, hospitals can better tailor their services and create a more equitable healthcare system.	The hospital facility collects patient satisfaction data during labor and delivery stay. Hospital facility collects patient satisfaction data through patient interviews during leadership rounds. Press Ganey Surveys are administered to patients. The hospital facility shares aggregate or summary results of patient satisfaction surveys with the internal care team at staff and leadership meetings. The hospital facility does not share summaries of patient satisfaction survey data to patients.
Mama Certified Promotion The Mama Certified badge is a symbol of commitment and trust that should be present during a mom’s entire birthing journey, from prenatal care to postpartum support. For bringing about change, visibility and repetition is key. These visual reminders are not only important for moms but also for staff.	The hospital facility demonstrates its public commitment to Mama Certified through the distribution of physical, digital and portable communication tools. The hospital will utilize Mama Certified signage and digital tools.
Training & Staff Engagement Training helps hospital staff recognize that biases exist and helps them take steps to reduce the impact of those biases on workplace interactions and decisions.	The hospital facility has participated in training and engagement of staff as it relates to Mama Certified. The majority (more than 50%) of Women's Health and OBGYN staff have participated in the online ‘Intro to Mama Certified’ training offered by Cradle Cincinnati. The majority (more than 50%) of Women's Health and OBGYN staff have participated in implicit bias training offered through the hospital system. Implicit bias training is provided to staff by The Christ Hospital via annual training. Two members of hospital facility leadership serve on the Cradle Cincinnati Learning Collaborative Circle of Advisors.
Center the Voices of Patients with Lived Experiences with Queens Village Centering the voices of those with lived experiences is essential for creating a more inclusive, equitable, and empathetic society. It fosters a culture of listening, learning, and empathy, ultimately leading to better outcomes for all members of society.	The hospital facility will meet with Cradle Cincinnati and Queens Village to outline opportunities to co-create strategies supporting equitable maternal and infant care. The hospital facility will collaborate with Queens Village to co-create strategies supporting equitable maternal and infant health.
Pathways to Improvement Crafting strategies to improve maternal and infant health is essential for driving systemic change by enabling targeted interventions, fostering collaboration and engagement, facilitating learning and adaptation, and building momentum for sustained impact. It provides a structured approach to addressing complex systemic issues and achieving meaningful and lasting transformation.	The hospital facility has outlined the following strategies to improve maternal and infant health. Increase coordination between healthcare systems and social services to screen, refer, and follow up on patient's health related social needs in order to ensure mother's have basic safety needs for self and neonate prior to discharge. Increase the number of racially and ethnically diverse students in the healthcare education pipeline in order to promote trust of healthcare systems and providers. Increase healthcare workforce diversity for key positions in order to promote trust of healthcare systems and providers. The hospital is designated baby friendly and has received magnet accrediation.
	The hospital facility received 87.4% of the measurable points for the Infant Care Focus Area.	87.4%

Christ Hospital - Mt. Auburn Hospital

Mama Certification

Infant Care

The hospital facility has received four stars from Ohio First Steps for Healthy Babies breastfeeding program.

Maternal Care