Becker's Hospital Review

As the United States continues to struggle with maternal health disparities, Temple Health is leading change. On September 3, Temple Health officially opened Temple Women & Families Hospital, a first-of-its-kind facility in Philadelphia dedicated exclusively to women's and family health. In its first weeks, the hospital has already begun serving patients across the region, with promising early indicators that underscore its role as a critical new resource. We spoke with Abhi Rastogi, MBA, MIS — COO & EVP of Temple Health and President & CEO of Temple University Hospital — about how this initiative is positioned to transform maternal care and set a national model for maternal health. Q: Why is Temple Health investing in women's and maternal health now? AR: In a time when hospitals across the nation and in the Philadelphia region are closing their maternity and labor and delivery services—14 of 19 maternity centers have closed across Greater Philadelphia, leaving significant care gaps—we recognize the urgent need to provide the care our communities deserve. At Temple Health, we are uniquely positioned to lead this effort, given our long-standing dedication to serving underserved populations and addressing health disparities. Q: What makes the Women & Families Hospital different? AR: Temple Health has long served Philadelphia's most underserved neighborhoods, and our data on maternal services reinforces that this new hospital sits at the heart of where the need for accessible, high-quality care is most urgent. We are reimagining maternal care from the ground up, redesigning the care model and the care environment to address our patients' unique challenges. We've built programs that bridge gaps in care and address the social determinants impacting health outcomes. These include perinatal- trained community health advocates, integrated behavioral health, and robust patient education. In addition, we're leveraging telemedicine and remote monitoring to provide real-time clinical access for expectant mothers, especially those with high-risk pregnancies. These services are crucial for improving outcomes in populations where inadequate access to care has historically contributed to higher maternal and infant health risks. Q: What quality measures are being addressed? AR: We are focused on reducing maternal mortality and morbidity, as well as infant mortality and preterm births, with an emphasis on equitable outcomes across race and ethnicity. We are implementing novel decision support tools, including an EMR-based labor and delivery risk management alert system, to proactively address conditions like preeclampsia, hemorrhage, and sepsis earlier in the episode of care. This system utilizes algorithms that are continually refined by key performance indicators among our patient populations. This is a life-changing and potentially lifesaving difference for our patients and their families, while mitigating the risk of birth malpractice losses and ensuring economic equivalency for mothers and babies. Q: How does Temple's diverse patient population shape your approach? AR: It influences everything. We recognize that a significant percentage of our screened patients—21%—has a social determinant of health barrier, and this understanding is essential to delivering comprehensive care. Notably, over 50% of our patient population has a behavioral health diagnosis, and more than 30% of our Maternal Fetal Medicine high-risk patients present with hypertension, diabetes, and/or obesity. This presents medically complex challenges that require the highest level of care, tailored to meet these complex social and health needs. Q: What's your vision for the future of Temple's maternal health initiatives? AR: Our goal is to significantly improve maternal and infant mortality rates in Philadelphia, and for our successes to serve as a model for other cities with similar challenges. We're expecting to increase our annual delivery volumes over the next several years with clinical outcomes that exceed national benchmarks. This is a pivotal moment in our commitment to enhancing access to high-quality maternity and women's healthcare. To learn more about Temple Health's pursuit to improve maternal and fetal health outcomes, visit templehealth.org/maternaloutcomes. Temple Women & Families Hospital Opens in Philadelphia A Conversation with Abhi Rastogi, MBA, MIS — Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Temple Health; and President & CEO of Temple University Hospital, Inc. Abhinav Rastogi COO, EVP Temple Health President, CEO Temple University Hospital, Inc. DEC EMB ER

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