All six Indiana Franciscan Health Family Birth Centers were awarded INspire Hospital of Distinction awards by the Indiana Hospital Association in partnership with Gov. Eric Holcomb and Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Lindsay Weaver.

The Family Birth Centers in Crown Point , Dyer , Indianapolis , Lafayette , Michigan City and Mooresville all received the honor. The awards were presented on Tuesday.

The Family Birth Centers were judged based on the implementation of best practices in key maternal-fetal health categories, including safe sleep, breastfeeding, tobacco, perinatal substance use, Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) safety bundles and social drivers of health. AIM safety bundles are sets of practices that improve the quality of care provided during delivery and in the postpartum period with the goal of reducing deaths and severe illness.

“Adoption of these best practices can help to drive down infant and maternal mortality rates,” said Marcia Cherry, MSN RN, chairwoman of the Franciscan Alliance OB/GYN Collaborative and director of the Women’s Center, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Care Center at Franciscan Health Lafayette East. “We and our patients are blessed to have dedicated professional members on staff at all of our birth centers throughout the state who work as a cohesive team and actively participate in the implementation of these best practices.”

INspire, funded by the Indiana Department of Health's ’Safety Protecting Indianas Newborns (Safety PIN) grant , was developed to implement the delivery of best practice care for Hoosier moms and babies and to recognize hospitals for excellence in addressing key drivers of infant and maternal health.

The Indiana Hospital Association, founded in 1921, is the professional trade association for 167 hospitals across Indiana, including public and private hospitals, multi-hospital systems, stand-alone specialty hospitals and affiliated health services providers.

More information about Franciscan’s Family Birth Centers is available online .