The role of regional collaboratives: the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative model

Improving the outcome of the infants cared for in one's neonatal intensive care unit is the main objective of improvement projects that are pursued independently or as a member of a national collaborative. Regional quality improvement collaborations represent the intersection of hospital-based and community-based medicine offering the possibility of coordinated improvement efforts conducted at both the hospital and community level. This article discusses the aspirations, workings, and achievements of the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative, a regional collaboration formed to improve perinatal care. While it is never easy to align the often differing fundamental positions held by the various member factions and stakeholder groups, the common goal of a universally agreed-upon mission statement can act as a magnet drawing the various components together. Rapid development of a first quality improvement initiative is an effective strategy to engage the participants in a way that allows them to demonstrate, share, and build upon their individual expertise, and provides them a strong sense of professional accomplishment.