UHealth Designated a Center of Excellence by the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology

UHealth – University of Miami Health System has been designated a Center of Excellence by the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP). It was one of only seven U.S. anesthesia programs to receive the coveted recognition in 2023, becoming the only SOAP Center of Excellence in South Florida.

Experts with UHealth’s obstetric anesthesiology division in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management provide specialized care to nearly 5,000 pregnant women each year, primarily at UM/Jackson Memorial Health System. The obstetric anesthesia team manages many high-risk patients, including patients having fetal surgery.

“Our team is honored to be recognized for our commitment to delivering outstanding obstetric anesthesia care,” said Paloma Toledo, M.D., M.P.H., chief of obstetric anesthesiology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “This tremendous accomplishment reflects the strength of our multidisciplinary team at UM/Jackson Memorial Medical Center, which is dedicated to delivering the best possible care to our patients, and their families, every day.”

The SOAP Center of Excellence designation recognizes institutions and programs that demonstrate excellence in obstetric anesthesia care. The criteria for Center of Excellence designation were generated by expert consensus and incorporate evidence-based recommendations. It sets a benchmark for the level of expected care, in order to improve the standards nationally and internationally.

“Providing our patients with the highest level of care takes incredible teamwork from anesthesiologists, obstetricians and nurses who are dedicated to exceptional quality and patient satisfaction,” said Joanne Ruggiero, M.S.N., M.A., NE-BC, senior vice president and chief executive officer of Holtz Children’s Hospital and The Women’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial. “This accreditation is another example of our unwavering commitment and dedication to surpass industry standards and redefine excellence.”

SOAP’s criteria for the Center of Excellence designation include personnel and staffing; equipment, protocols and policies; simulation and team training; obstetric emergency management; cesarean delivery and labor analgesia care; recommendations and guidelines implementation; and quality assurance and patient follow-up systems. The criteria for the SOAP COE designation, which covers all aspects of obstetric anesthesia care, were generated by expert consensus and incorporate evidence-based recommendations.

Tags: Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. Paloma Toledo, obstetrics