Lakeland, FL – Lakeland Regional Health (LRH) was named as a Level III maternal care verified facility by The Joint Commission in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). LRH is currently one of the first facilities in Florida and one of six facilities in the nation to receive this recognition. 

Lakeland Regional Health underwent a comprehensive on-site review to verify the level of care provided. As a Level III facility, LRH was able to show it has the ability to care for more complex maternal medical conditions, obstetric complications, and fetal conditions.

“We are grateful for this recognition of the complex maternal care we are able to provide throughout all stages of pregnancy, said Danielle Drummond, MS, FACHE, Lakeland Regional Health President and CEO. “The teams of physicians, advanced practitioners, and healthcare professionals who care for patients in our state-of-the-art facility have made a difference in the level of maternal care available to our community. This verification is a testament to this.”

The verification makes sure that healthcare facilities involve patients and families in their plan of care and educate women throughout their pregnancy. This ensures that the safest care and the highest outcomes are delivered.

“The Joint Commission commends Lakeland Regional Health for being named a Level III maternal care verified facility and for its efforts to standardize maternal care and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “The Maternal Levels of Care Verification program will help Lakeland Regional Health strengthen regionalized care for mothers and babies in its community.”

The Joint Commission started the Maternal Level of Care (MLC) Verification Program in 2022. The program was developed using ACOG’s Levels of Maternal Care Obstetric Care Consensus (OCC) clinical guidance, which includes comprehensive uniform definitions, a standardized description of maternity facility capabilities and personnel, and a framework for integrated systems that address maternal health needs.

The program is designed to encourage collaborative efforts regionally to see that high-risk patients needing complex care get to a care center with the appropriate level of care to meet their needs.

The 4 levels of the MLC verification program are:

• Level I: Basic Care
• Level II: Specialty Care
• Level III: Subspecialty Care
• Level IV: Regional Perinatal Health Care Centers

Each level builds on the prior level. For example, Level III verification means that the organization met the requirements for Levels I and II and is able to provide the care necessary for more complex maternal needs.