The Transformation to Family-Centered Care at Máxima

The transformation to family-centered care at Maxima

Máxima Medical Center is the largest medical center for the Southeast Brabant region in the Netherlands, specializing in high-care obstetrics and neonatology. Around 2,600 babies per year are delivered in its Woman-Mother-Child Center.

Máxima Medical Center was keen to create a new family centered care project that was focused on patients and their families rather than processes. They partnered with Philips to operationalize their family-centered care vision in a specially designed environment promoting privacy across the obstetrics (OB) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Since opening, they’ve seen a significant improvement in patient and staff satisfaction, and expect long-term benefits from the personalized care environment.

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Working with Philips felt like a collaboration, like we were working with colleagues. I really experienced a sense of support because it was a very complex project and Philips has a great deal of experience from other hospitals. That felt really valuable.”

Brigit Oele, NICU Manager

Máxima Medical Center

Our approach

Our Philips Wee Care expertise helped transform the Woman-Mother-Child Center by introducing single patient rooms and the Sacred Hour (family bonding in the first hour of a baby’s life).

A staff change management program to improve cross-department collaboration and communication was also introduced.

The Wee Care Sacred Hour Program is a transformational change in providing family-centered developmental care in the perinatal areas (Labor and Delivery/Postpartum/Newborn/NICU) supporting your goals in neuroprotective care.

Goals are to promote skin-to-skin contact (SSC) during the first hour after birth in order to:

Increase early breastfeeding initiation rates
Increase exclusive breastfeeding rates
Increase exclusive breast milk administration rates
Promote maternal-infant bonding/attachment behaviors
Protect baby from the negative effects of separation
Involve families & improve patient satisfaction
Optimize brain development

Results

Since opening, the Center has seen a significant improvement in patient and staff satisfaction and expects long-term developmental benefit from the personalized care environment.

98% of staff surveyed felt that the mother and child had a good experience at the Woman-Mother-Child Center thanks to family-centered care.
Around 80% of eligible families have experienced the Sacred Hour since it was implemented; 94% of families surveyed saw it as a positive experience.
Patient satisfaction increased from 58% to 77% in maternity and from 83% to 93% in NICU in two years.¹

¹ Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey

Next steps

The Woman-Mother-Child leaders will continue working on optimizing family-centered care on the obstetrics high care unit and sustaining results in medium care.

Actions will include the initiation of management walk rounds and a parent advisory council to proactively identify potential problems, work on their root causes, and create solutions collaboratively.

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