Perinatal quality collaboratives work to improve the quality of care for mothers and babies by identifying opportunities for evidence-based quality improvement.  The Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC) was formed in 2012 and is one of only 13 state collaboratives funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ILPQC also receives federal Title V dollars through their grant from IDPH.

From January 2016-December 2017, ILPQC launched the Severe Maternal Hypertension Initiative. 112 of the approximate 120 birthing hospitals participated with the goal of reducing the rate of severe morbidities in women with severe preeclampsia, eclampsia, or preeclampsia superimposed on pre-existing hypertension by 20%. This initiative included use of appropriate medical management of severe hypertension (patient safety bundles) as well as discharge education and follow-up with women with a new onset of severe maternal hypertension cases. During the initiative, ILPQC saw a concurrent 40% reduction in hospital-reported morbidities associated with severe maternal hypertension from 15% at baseline to 9% in the last quarter of the initiative.

Through ongoing technical assistance, hospitals have maintained their gains on reducing time to treatment of severe maternal hypertension, providing discharge education materials and scheduling follow-up appointments within 10 days of discharge for women with new onset of severe hypertension.