DMC Sinai-Grace and DMC Huron Valley-Sinai hospitals receive designations; Care at all locations also recognized by state of Michigan

The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has designated DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital in Detroit as a Level IV maternal care-verified facility, the highest level awarded by the Commission for care of birthing mothers.

Hutzel’s Maternal Levels of Care (MLC) Verification on June 20 – one of only a handful of Level IV verifications in the state of Michigan – comes just a few weeks after the Detroit Medical Center’s DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in Commerce Township and DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit received Level II MLC verifications from The Joint Commission.

The Joint Commission is the United States’ oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare, dedicated to ensuring the safest and highest level of care. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 22,000 healthcare organizations and programs across the nation.

“The Detroit Medical Center has elevated maternal care by establishing a strong interdisciplinary team, including coordination of care between our three birthing hospitals and their directors of Women’s Services, as well as our OB-GYN and Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician colleagues, DMC OB concierge navigators and area doulas,” said DMC Group CEO Brittany Lavis. “This has been an integral part of our success and helped us achieve success in the verification process. That’s our ongoing focus: Listening to our community and providing the highest level of personalized care to our mothers and their babies, and we thank The Joint Commission for recognizing our work.”

Lashonda Madison is director of Women’s Services at DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital. Deidra Field is the director at DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital; Ashley Hagerman is director at DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital.

To receive the designations, the hospitals underwent on-site, multi-day evaluations of the level of maternity care provided. The MLC Verification program provides an objective assessment of a facility’s capabilities and verifies that a hospital has the expertise, equipment and resources in place for a patient’s specific needs and risk level. Each site visit included a review of policies, procedures, shared decision-making and interdisciplinary teamwork, as well as an evaluation of the physical environment, the availability of blood product, ultrasound capability and physician and staff education. Verification also confirms hospitals have agreements in place so the mother can be transferred to a higher-level facility with the appropriate level of care, should complications arise.

“The Joint Commission commends the Detroit Medical Center for having two Level II and one Level IV maternal care-verified facilities and for its efforts to standardize maternal care and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality,” says Ken Grubbs, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer of The Joint Commission. “The Maternal Levels of Care Verification program will help the Detroit Medical Center strengthen regionalized care for mothers and babies in its community.”

The MLC Verification program was developed using American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists’ Levels of Maternal Care Obstetric Care Consensus (OCC) clinical guidance, which includes comprehensive uniform definitions, a standardized description of maternity facility capabilities and personnel, and a framework for integrated systems that address maternal health needs. To learn more, visit The Joint Commission website.

The designations come as Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (MI-AIM) has awarded gold and silver designations to each of the DMC hospitals’ Birthing Centers for their care delivery in 2024. DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital’s Birthing Center received the Gold designation, while DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital and DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital Birthing Centers were awarded Silver designation.

“These designations are another example of how the Detroit Medical Center birthing centers are taking care of our moms and reducing complications and serious outcomes for moms giving birth,” said Madonna Ladouceur, Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist for the Detroit Medical Center and Co-Chair of Michigan AIMS Operation Committee. “All three of our certified hospitals work together, and these certifications help align us to provide the highest level of care.”