Quality improvement science in perinatal care can address the preventable morbidity and mortality disparity affecting racial and ethnic minorities. Leaders from the Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement describe how and why they designed SPEAK UP to dismantle racism in health care. Listen to explore the collective responsibility of nurses and health care professionals to implement change and improve outcomes for all birthing individuals.

Debra Bingham, DrPH, RN, FAAN 

Dr. Debra Bingham is the founder and CEO of the Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement. Key PQI programs include QI Essentials, SPEAK UP Against Racism Action Pathway, and the Intermittent Auscultation simulation-based module.

Debra has over 30 years of perinatal clinical experience. She was the first Executive Director of the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC), a VP for the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), and an Associate Professor of Healthcare Quality and Safety at the University of Maryland (UMSON).

At CMQCC she co-authored and launched the Obstetric Hemorrhage and Elimination of Elective Deliveries Prior to 39 Weeks Toolkits and collaboratives. At AWHONN she co-created and launched the Postpartum Hemorrhage Project, POST-BIRTH Warning Signs, and the Maternal Fetal Triage Index. At UMSON she expanded the utilization of implementation science and quality improvement methods and tools within the Doctor of Nursing Practice curriculum. She was also the principal investigator for the Advancing Implementation Science Education (AdvISE) Nurse Support II grant funded by the Maryland Commission of Higher Education.

Debra’s leadership and expertise is exemplified in her many co-authored, peer-review articles and implementation tool-kits. She’s developed and led several state and national quality improvement initiatives that have reduced maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. Thus, Debra has been quoted by The New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, and The Associated Press. She’s a sought-after speaker that’s been interviewed on NPR, Studio 1A, and on Katie Couric’s podcast Next Question.

Debra is the co-editor of her son David K. Jones’s (1981-2021) book Ripples of Hope in the Mississippi Delta: Charting the Health Equity Policy Agenda.

Renee Byfield, MS, RN, FNP, C-EFM, FAAN 

Renée Byfield is the Program Director at the Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement. She’s the co-author of SPEAK UP Against Racism, a groundbreaking national perinatal equity curriculum and cultural change paradigm to accelerate the elimination of perinatal disparities by addressing the maternal mortality crisis. This program has reached thousands of perinatal professionals across the U.S. resulting in greater collaboration between local and state governments, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions.

Renee’s career encompasses academia, healthcare facilities, and ambulatory settings. She’s made significant contributions to leading institutions. At Drexel University she was a Clinical Assistant Professor teaching baccalaureate and masters level courses and at the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), she was Program Manager of internationally recognized perinatal and neonatal programs and the inaugural developer of the Obstetric Patient Safety Program (OPS).

Renee was a Perinatal Safety Administrator at NYP – Weill Cornell that launched team trainings and in-situ interdisciplinary simulation drills; and at Kaiser Permanente GA she was Nurse Manager for OB/GYN, Urogynecology where she launched the Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation clinic.

As a PhD student at the Emory University School of Nursing and a National Institute of Health Pre-Doctoral Training Scholar, her research is focused on advancing maternal health equity by leveraging data science and health information technology to address and mitigate obstetric violence. Renee is also the recipient of AWHONN’s 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Award.

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