A delivery-room team just won statewide honors for safer births

Meritus Medical Center's labor and delivery team just earned gold- and silver-level statewide recognition for work that makes childbirth safer for mothers and babies. The honors came through the Maryland Perinatal-Neonatal Quality Collaborative, a statewide program that coaches hospitals on better maternity and newborn care. The team focused on two of the scariest moments in the delivery room: heavy, dangerous bleeding during or after birth, and low blood sugar in newborns — a condition that is hard to spot but serious if missed. Their method was quietly rigorous: reporting data, adopting proven safety practices, and joining coaching calls with other Maryland hospitals. "This recognition shows our team's commitment to providing safe, high-quality care for mothers and babies," said Heather Markell, chief nursing officer at Meritus Health.