Independence Health System’s Westmoreland Hospital Receives Perinatal Quality Improvement Designation at Awards Ceremony

GREENSBURG, PA, May 21, 2026 …– Independence Health System–Westmoreland Hospitalis a recipient of the Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative’s (PA PQC) Designations Awards which were presented at its annual conference in Altoona on May 19-20, 2026. 

This designation signifies that the hospital has established multidisciplinary teams dedicated to continuous quality improvement in maternal and newborn care through the sharing of best practices and data within the hospital and community in specific issue areas impacting maternal mortality, including maternal sepsis.

The awards were announced and presented during a ceremony at the Blair County Convention Center. Those earning the silver or gold designation level have undertaken additional projects focused on health equity and/or patient voice within maternal and neonatal health care. 

Independence Health System’s Westmoreland Hospital earned a silver designation to recognize its work in the issue area of Maternal Sepsis.

A silver designation signifies a hospital’s dedicated commitment to incorporating data driven population-specific health goals or patient voice in their work. 

“Independence Health System is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for patients, and we are honored to be recognized for it and grateful for the trust that our patients place in us to care for them and their newborns,” said Randi Turkweitz, MD, department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. “This designation is a testament to the physicians, providers, and staff who make positive outcomes possible for our community. Receiving feedback from our patients not only validates the quality of care and education we provide, but also drives our continued commitment to excellence and patient-centered care."

Designation awards and levels are based on meeting quality improvement milestone criteria over a 12-month period, starting from April 2025 to March 2026. 

In Pennsylvania, perinatal health issues persist, including racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes, higher than average maternal sepsis rates, and drug overdose deaths during pregnancy and postpartum. The PA PQC addresses these challenges through various initiatives, including Maternal Sepsis. Through collaborative efforts, the PA PQC aims to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes across the state.

“We are proud to recognize the hospitals across Pennsylvania that are leading the way in improving maternal and newborn outcomes in childbirth,” said Karen Wolk Feinstein, PhD, President and CEO of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF). “Their commitment to quality improvement and patient-centered care is helping to address some of the most pressing challenges in maternal health. These designations reflect meaningful progress toward safer care for all families in the Commonwealth.”

The PA PQC is administered by the JHF and WHAMglobal, and it is affiliated with the Northeast PQC (NEPaPQC). 

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About Independence Health System

Nationally recognized for quality care, Independence Health System comprises Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland Hospitals with a combined bed count of 925. With more than 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 7,000 employees, the System is the third largest in western Pennsylvania serving a population base of 750,000 in a footprint spanning a multi-county region. 

The System includes tertiary programs rated among America’s best for cardiac care and surgery, earning accolades from a number of prestigious outlets and organizations. Locally owned and locally controlled, Independence Health System offers its patients low-cost, high-quality care across the care spectrum in such specialties as cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, women’s health and obstetrics, emergency medicine, behavioral health and primary care. Its network of outpatient centers sees more than 1.2 million visits annually. The homecare division further supports patients at all stages of life with home health and hospice services. Learn more at www.independence.health.

About the Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative

The Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative (PA PQC) provides quality improvement support to healthcare teams to improve the standard of care for pregnant and postpartum people and babies. Seventy-seven birth sites and NICUs from across the commonwealth participate in the PA PQC. The PA PQC is administered by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and WHAMglobal, and it is affiliated with the Northeast PQC (NEPaPQC). For more information, visit papqc.org.

About the Jewish Healthcare Foundation

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) and its three operating arms — the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative (PRHI), Health Careers Futures (HCF), and the Women's Health Activist Movement Global (WHAMglobal) — offer a unique brand of activist philanthropy to advance healthcare innovation, advocacy, collaboration, and education in the interest of better population health. For more information, visit jhf.org.