NEW YORK, June 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH), the New York-based employer-led coalition of healthcare stakeholders, announced today the launch of ExpectNY , a new website that educates expectant parents in New York City and Long Island about maternal quality measures and other factors that can impact their childbirth experience, their health and the health of their newborn babies.
“It’s vital for expectant parents to be armed with information about maternal quality measures so they can have informed conversations with their doctors about any concerns they have,” said Candice Sherman, Chief Executive Officer of NEBGH. “ExpectNY empowers women to ask the right questions about what plans are in place for their childbirth and ultimately, empowers them to become better healthcare consumers.”
ExpectNY is an accessible and easy-to-understand source of information and publicly-reported hospital data about maternity procedures and practices. Users can search for a hospital’s rates for C-Sections, VBACs (Vaginal Birth after Cesarean), inductions, episiotomies, breastfeeding and other factors helpful for expectant mothers to understand when planning to give birth. The website includes searchable data from more than 50 hospitals in New York City and Long Island.
“Making hospital maternity metrics transparent and easily accessible is one way to ensure that expectant mothers have a great birth experience,” said David Sandman, Ph.D., President and CEO of New York State Health Foundation, which awarded NEBGH a grant to create the website. “ExpectNY is an important addition to the consumer health care decision-making toolbox, helping expectant parents make informed choices about where to seek prenatal and delivery care, and giving them peace of mind to fully focus on welcoming the newest member of their family.”
“We are thrilled to partner with NEBGH to bring this vital information to our communities,” said Nan Strauss, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Every Mother Counts. “Too often, families don’t know where to turn for information that will help ensure a childbirth experience that aligns with their values, needs and preferences. ExpectNY will help women and families talk with their doctors and midwives about finding the childbirth facility that’s right for them.”
“Concerns about the size of healthcare delivery networks have increasingly given way to concerns about quality, and employers are fairly unanimous that maternity is one of the areas in which high-quality procedures and outcomes are most pressing,” said Marco Diaz, SVP, Global Benefits for News Corp and Vice Chair of NEBGH’s Board of Directors. “As a company with deep roots in New York, we are excited to promote this great resource to our own employee population and the communities in which we serve and operate.”
About NEBGH
NEBGH is an employer-led coalition of benefits leaders and other healthcare stakeholders with the mission of empowering members to drive excellence in health and achieve the highest value in healthcare delivery and the consumer experience. The organization provides employers with help in obtaining the most value out of each healthcare dollar they spend and provides guidance in managing high-cost employee conditions through multi-stakeholder projects, publications and educational programming. NEBGH makes employers’ voices heard in efforts to transform healthcare, including playing a key role in New York State’s State Innovation Model project on primary care.
Media contact: Jennifer Fucci Northeast Business Group on Health jfucci@nebgh.org 212.252.7440, ext. 229
