肉肉传媒's Neonatal Center of Excellence Transforms Health of Tiniest Members
01/13/2023
肉肉传媒鈥檚 Neonatal Center of Excellence is dedicated to supporting the health of pregnant mothers and infants. 听
The Center leads best practices across 肉肉传媒 to enhance neonatal care and address the medical, social and financial needs of those at high risk for having a baby born prematurely and/or critically ill.听
Dr. Daniel Bruzzini, the Center鈥檚 Medical Director, said approximately 3.7 million babies are born in the United States each year. Nearly 10% to 15% of these infants are admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
鈥淎s the largest Medicaid provider, 肉肉传媒 cares for about 260,000 infants annually. This brings a great opportunity and responsibility to help families have healthy babies,鈥 he said. 听听
Dr. Bruzzini is a practicing neonatologist and an American Association of Physician Leadership certified Physician Executive. He is also a U.S. Air Force Colonel who served 25 years as a flight surgeon and Medical Director. After retiring from the Air Force, he served as Medical Director for a multi-state neonatology practice group.
鈥淲hen a mom with severe hypertension, substance misuse and no prenatal visits delivered a 25-week baby, I was there to help the family,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut I could not prevent the problems the baby will face due to extreme prematurity. Prenatal visits, behavioral health services and medicine for hypertension would have likely kept the baby in the best NICU 鈥 his/her mother鈥檚 womb.鈥
Dr. Bruzzini joined 肉肉传媒鈥檚 Missouri health plan, Home State Health, as Medical Director in 2019 and began developing the companywide Neonatal Center of Excellence in 2021.
At a local level, care teams support members and address risk factors, including medical conditions, insufficient prenatal visits, substance misuse and social determinants of health. Additionally, they ensure health inequities and member choice are addressed in a variety of ways such as use of in-person and virtual doula services. 鈥淭his is a comprehensive, integrated team of Medical Directors, Utilization Management and Care Management nurses meeting our members where they are with understanding and compassion,鈥 Dr. Bruzzini said.
The teams also collaborate with physician and hospital partners when a member鈥檚 baby is admitted to a NICU to improve quality of care and decrease length of stay.
Once the babies are home, ensuring they receive proper nutrition is a key focus. Care Managers connect new moms to formula and breastfeeding resources, including breast pumps, doulas and lactation support.
During the recent formula shortage, 肉肉传媒 worked at a local and national level so families could access formula without delay. This included ensuring specialty formulas were reaching babies with medical needs in a timely manner and finding nearby stores with formula in stock.
Dr. Bruzzini and John Kaelin, 肉肉传媒 Senior Vice President of Government Relations, also provided guidance during the formula shortage to policy makers at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Department of Health and Human Services, and the White House.
A new initiative underway to improve the health of premature babies across the country is 肉肉传媒鈥檚 Neonatal Center of Excellence Diamond Designation. The program encourages NICUs to have the American Academy of Pediatrics verify they have the necessary equipment, support and quality for their best level of neonatal intensive care.
鈥淥ur Neonatal Center of Excellence represents our commitment to mothers and babies,鈥 Dr. Bruzzini said. 鈥淏y achieving the highest standards, 肉肉传媒 sets the goal for the rest of the industry to follow.鈥