Raising the Bar in Maternal & Emergency Care: How Hazel Hawkins’ Teams Earned Statewide Honors

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Raising the Bar in Maternal & Emergency Care: How Hazel Hawkins’ Teams Earned Statewide Honors

OB excellence recognized by CMQCC, and ED validation through BETA’s Quest for Zero—one culture of safety across the hospital.

October 01, 2025 - HOLLISTER, Calif. — Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital (HHMH) is celebrating a year of meaningful progress in quality and safety. The Obstetrics (OB) team earned three 2025 Quality and Engagement Awards from the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC), while the Emergency Department (ED) completed BETA Healthcare Group’s Quest for Zero validation for 2024–2025. Together, these achievements reflect one, hospital-wide culture: disciplined use of evidence, transparent data, and teamwork that keeps patients at the center.

OB: three CMQCC recognitions rooted in reliability

HHMH’s OB team earned three CMQCC awards that recognize sustained performance, implementation of maternal safety standards, and high engagement with the Maternal Data Center (MDC).

• Quality & Sustainability Award: Cesarean Birth Rate (NTSV) — met and maintained the Healthy People 2030 target for the Nulliparous, Term, Singleton, Vertex (NTSV) cesarean rate (PC-02) for three consecutive years (2022–2024).
• Quality & Sustainability Award: Maternal Safety Standards Implementation — documented implementation of The Joint Commission’s Maternal Safety Standards in the MDC with emphasis on Hypertension/Preeclampsia readiness and response.
• MDC Superstar Award: Small Birth Volume Hospitals — high engagement with the MDC for hospitals with under 1,000 annual births.

Drivers of success include standardized labor pathways, judicious induction practices, strong nurse–physician collaboration, and routine simulation focused on recognition and timely treatment of obstetric hypertension.

ED: Quest for Zero validation underscores system-wide safety

HHMH’s ED successfully completed BETA Healthcare Group’s Quest for Zero validation requirements for 2024–2025. This accomplishment recognizes a comprehensive approach to safety through staff education, visible data, and follow-through with patients after discharge.

• Education & competency: All ED nurses completed the Relias personalized learning modules—including “Nursing Management of Sepsis in the Emergency Department”— with posttests at 80% or higher.
• Data visibility & transparency: The ED reviews a standing dashboard in staff meetings and on huddle boards; posts Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) compliance; and shares AIDET and National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) information to reinforce communication and safety behaviors.
• Performance improvement & trigger tools: Multiple improvement projects use evidence-based Trigger Tool screenings to evaluate outcomes; leadership shares throughput metrics to drive real-time course-correction.
• High-Risk Callback Program: A formal callback policy defines inclusion criteria, escalation pathways for unreachable patients, and documentation standards in the EHR; call logs track service recovery, with events routed to Risk Management and the Medical Staff Quality Committee for oversight.

Both teams were recognized at BETA’s 2025 Annual Member Symposium at the end of September.

One culture of care, many points of impact

From labor and delivery to the front door of the ED, HHMH teams rely on the same building blocks: shared protocols, transparent data, simulation and drills, and patient partnership. The result is safer care close to home—whether a family is welcoming a baby or a neighbor is seeking urgent treatment.

“These recognitions reflect one standard across our hospital—evidence-based practice delivered by teams who learn together and act fast,” said Karen Descent, DNP, NE-BC, Chief Nursing Officer and Compliance Officer at HHMH. “We’re proud to elevate maternal care in our OB unit and apply the same rigor to emergency care for every patient who walks through our doors.”

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About Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital is a full-service, public agency hospital delivering modern medicine and compassionate care to the growing San Benito County community. HHMH offers hundreds of health services across multiple locations, including top-tier specialists, a modern Emergency Department, and a state-of-the-art Women’s Center. To learn more about Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital and the Hazel Hawkins Hospital Foundation, please visit www.hazelhawkins.com.