MORGANTON, N.C. (September 16, 2025) – UNC Health Blue Ridge Women’s Health has been honored with the North Carolina Nurses Association Best Practice Award in Caring for Others. This award recognizes the team’s outstanding approach to improving emergency care for mothers and strengthening the health of the community we serve.
The award-winning initiative titled “Enhancing Emergency Response and High Reliability Team Performance Through PPH Role Designation Cards” addresses the urgent need for structured and rapid response during postpartum hemorrhage events. Postpartum hemorrhage is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide.
To improve outcomes and reduce clinician stress the team developed color-coded role-specific designation cards that guide staff during emergencies. These laminated cards are stored in emergency carts and distributed immediately when a postpartum hemorrhage is identified. Each card outlines specific tasks aligned with AWHONN standards and best practices ensuring a calm coordinated and evidence-based response.
“This project reflects our commitment to maternal safety, staff empowerment, and community health,” said Michele Woods, MSN, RNC-OB, NE-BC, C-EFM, C-ONQS, FAWHONN, Nurse Manager of the Family Center at UNC Health Blue Ridge. “By clearly defining roles and responsibilities, we’ve built a more resilient and confident team, capable of delivering timely and compassionate care during critical moments.”
Key outcomes include:
- A 60 percent increase in staff confidence in managing postpartum hemorrhage events
- Faster response times and more consistent care
- Improved safety for mothers and newborns
- Stronger teamwork and less crowding in patient rooms
The cards are now part of regular training emergency drills and simulations. The team is also exploring how this approach can be used for other obstetric emergencies such as shoulder dystocia and eclampsia.
About the NCNA Best Practice Award
The North Carolina Nurses Association Best Practice Award in Caring for Others celebrates nursing teams that demonstrate excellence in innovation collaboration and patient-centered care. This achievement showcases how simple cost-effective solutions can transform healthcare delivery and improve outcomes for both patients and providers.
UNC Health Blue Ridge Women’s Health Group remains committed to putting patients first to support our care teams and improving health outcomes for the communities we serve.
See a PDF version of this story as it appeared in "The Paper" publication on Saturday September 20, 2025
UNC Health Blue Ridge (www.unchealthblueridge.org) is a not-for-profit community healthcare system, providing advanced healthcare and wellness services from more than 50 locations across a three-county region of Western North Carolina. We are the only Level III Trauma Center in the region, offering advanced trauma services close to home. The system includes one hospital with two locations and a continuing care retirement community. Nearly 150 primary care physicians, physician specialists, and extenders in the Blue Ridge Medical Group combine with other physicians on the Medical Staff to serve patients in the region. UNC Health Blue Ridge provides graduate medical education programs for medical school graduates and students in allopathic and osteopathic medicine. UNCBR is affiliated with UNC Health System (www.unchealthcare.org), a not-for-profit integrated healthcare system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill.
