FPQC wins state-wide Sapphire Award for Outstanding Organization
The Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative (FPQC), based in the Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies at the USF College of Public Health, received the Florida Blue Foundation’s 2016 Sapphire Award for Outstanding Organization.
The FPQC was selected as winner of this prestigious award out of 112 nominations and 13 finalists from around the state.
The awards, totaling $350,000, honor outstanding individuals, programs and nonprofit organizations in community health care, or health care-related fields, whose work is distinguished by leadership, innovation and achievements in community health.
The FPQC was honored for its work for more than five years to improve Florida’s maternal and infant health outcomes through the delivery of high quality, evidence-based perinatal care. FPQC initiatives have made a significant different in the lives of mothers and babies across the state.
The FPQC was presented with the top award in the organization category, along with a donation of $50,000, on April 21 in Orlando, Fla.
Seated from left are: Maya Balakrishnan, USF COM, FPQC QI Director; Linda Detman, FPQC Program Manager; William Sappenfield, FPQC Director; Emily Bronson, FPQC QI Specialist; and Charlie Mahan, Chiles Center. Back row from left are: Doug Hardy, FPQC Neonatal Consultant; Karen Harris, ACOG District XII Chair and FPQC Obstetrical Consultant; Annette Phelps, FPQC Nursing Consultant; Lori Reeves, March of Dimes Regional Program Services Director; Karen Bruder, USF COM, FPQC Obstetrical Consultant; Judette Louis, USF COM, FPQC Obstetrical Consultant; Kris Albers, Florida DOH; and Yuri Sebastiao, FPQC Graduate Assistant.
“The Sapphire Award demonstrates credibility of the reach the FPQC has in the eyes of others,” said Dr. William Sappenfield, who co-directs FPQC and directs the Chiles Center. “The award money will go to support current quality initiatives the will help us have an even greater impact on the lives of mothers and infants.”
A video highlighting the work of the FPQC was shown at the awards presentation.
The FPQC thanks its wonderful collaborative partners, including: the March of Dimes; the Florida Department of Health; the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists District XII; the Association for Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses; the Florida Hospital Association; the Florida Chapter of the American College of Nurse Midwives; Florida sections of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Society of Neonatologists; the Florida Hospital Association; the Agency for Healthcare Administration; Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions; and all of the wonderful volunteers, partners, academic centers, hospitals and care providers who have been involved in the collaborative. This is a win for all of us!
The full list of 2016 Sapphire Award honorees is available here.
Florida Blue Foundation is a trade name of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation, Inc. Florida Blue Foundation is committed to its mission – help the people and communities of Florida achieve better health – through strategic grant making to nonprofits that provide services to all 67 Florida counties. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.floridabluefoundation.com.
For more information on the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative, visit FPQC.org.
Story by Emily Bronson, Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative.