Louisiana – The Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative have announced that 35 birthing hospitals in the state have achieved the prestigious 2025 Louisiana Birth Ready or Birth Ready+ Designation. This recognition is given to hospitals that are committed to improving maternal health outcomes through quality improvement practices.
Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham praised the hospitals for their dedication to improving maternal health in the state. “The Department of Health is committed to improving maternal health outcomes in Louisiana, and working together moves us one step closer to positive change,” he stated. “I applaud these hospitals for their dedication and willingness to put in the hard work to achieve Birth Ready and Birth Ready+ Designation because our mothers deserve the support.”
The Birth Ready Designation, first launched by LaPQC in 2021, has seen a significant increase in participation. In its first year, 27 facilities earned the designation, and today, 35 out of Louisiana’s 46 birthing hospitals are recognized. Notably, Opelousas General Health System, Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, and Willis-Knighton Bossier Health Center earned the Birth Ready Designation for the first time this year.
To earn the Birth Ready Designation, hospitals must meet standards across five key areas, such as implementing policies to improve the recognition and response to clinical causes of severe maternal morbidity and promoting patient partnership. Hospitals that achieve the Birth Ready+ designation have exceeded these requirements, demonstrating even higher levels of compliance. This year, one hospital advanced from Louisiana Birth Ready to Louisiana Birth Ready+.
The process for earning the designation is rigorous, with hospitals undergoing a thorough application and review by the LaPQC Birth Ready Designation Committee. Many of the designated hospitals have been working with LaPQC for years to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes throughout the state.