JACKSON, MS – May 6, 2026 — The Mississippi Perinatal Quality Collaborative (MSPQC) successfully concluded its 2026 Annual Conference. The two-day event, held April 23-24, brought together healthcare professionals, advocates, community partners, and parents from across the state and around the country to address critical challenges and innovations in maternal and neonatal health.
The conference opened on Thursday, April 23, with pre-conference sessions, including the Preemie for a Day workshop sponsored by Philips and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) Intermediate Fetal Monitoring Course. The program transitioned into a full day of education on Friday, highlighted by a keynote address from labor and delivery nurse and nationally recognized speaker Jen Hamilton, BSN, RN, CEN, RNC-OB, titled Informed, Empowered Patient Experiences. In her address, Hamilton encouraged participants to avoid making promises outside their control and provided practical approaches to ensure patient voices are heard, respected and valued.
The event served as a catalyst for the Mississippi Perinatal Quality Collaborative’s (MSPQC) ongoing work across the state. Current initiatives include the Mother’s Own Measure (M.O.M.) Survey, which continues to inform improvements in patient experience and hospital practices. MSPQC also introduced a new initiative, the Pumping Pathways Project, designed to increase the use of mother’s own milk (MOM) among NICU infants through strengthened hospital systems and support for families. In total, MSPQC is leading four quality improvement initiatives available to birthing hospitals, all aimed at enhancing care and outcomes for mothers and infants across Mississippi.
“The success of our mission depends on the strength of our partnerships and collaborations,” said Monica Stinson, MSPQC senior program manager. “This conference was not just about sharing information, it was about strengthening the network that supports mothers, babies, and families across Mississippi.”
The 2026 program offered diverse tracks aligned with MSPQC’s key focus areas in maternal health, neonatal care, and patient and family engagement:
- Maternal Health: Sessions focused on strengthening clinical practices to address key maternal health conditions, including hypertensive and cardiovascular disorders in pregnancy, as well as the complexities of substance use disorder in the perinatal period. A panel on Midwifery in Mississippi: Caring for Families, Strengthening Systems highlighted the vital role of midwives in expanding access to care, supporting families, and strengthening the perinatal workforce across the state.
- Neonatal Care: Presentations highlighted evidence-based strategies to support outcomes for preterm infants, including efforts to increase the use of mother’s own milk in the NICU. A NICU panel featuring parents provided powerful insight into their experiences and expressed the needs of families during their time in the NICU, reinforcing the importance of family-centered care.
- Patient & Family Engagement: Discussions emphasized the importance of patient-reported, experience data to inform quality improvement and to ensure care is responsive to the needs of families. Sessions also highlighted infant mortality and the importance of engaging families and communities in efforts to improve outcomes across the state.
The MSPQC remains committed to its role as a central hub for perinatal excellence in Mississippi. By fostering statewide collaboration and equipping clinicians and public health practitioners with evidence-based tools, the collaborative ensures that the momentum generated at this year’s conference translates into meaningful improvements in care and outcomes for mothers and infants across the state.
About the MSPQC
The Mississippi Perinatal Quality Collaborative (MSPQC), launched in November 2014, is a statewide initiative dedicated to improving maternal and infant health through hospital-based quality improvement, data transparency, and patient-centered care. MSPQC is a program of the Mississippi Public Health Institute (MSPHI), a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening public health systems through innovation, partnerships, and policy.
MSPQC brings together hospitals, clinicians, community stakeholders, public health professionals, and families to drive measurable improvements in maternal and infant health outcomes across Mississippi.
