Eight years ago, the Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative (CPCQC) became one of the first perinatal quality collaboratives in the nation to receive funding. From the beginning, we’ve been united around a single, powerful vision: A world where every pregnancy, birth, and recovery is as healthy, safe, and as supported as possible.

Here in Colorado, that vision drives everything we do. We partner with hospitals, clinicians, insurers, state agencies, and community organizations to improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum Coloradans, infants, and families. Our work prevents avoidable harm, reduces disparities, and ensures that best practices in perinatal care are put into action statewide.

As a trusted partner, convener and catalyst, we strengthen clinical and community teams through shared learning, collaborative quality improvement, and evidence-based innovation. Together, we’ve already seen measurable progress:

• We lowered the rate of low-risk C-sections across our participating hospitals – the group is now performing below the national benchmark
• We saw a more than 100 percent increase in comprehensive care for perinatal patients with identified substance use disorder in our participating hospitals
• Maternal mental and behavioral health is integrated through every program with enhanced coordination in select Colorado counties. 
• We introduced Colorado’s first-ever trauma-informed debrief tool for unplanned or emergency cesarean births—designed for both patients and providers
• 100 percent of programs include lived experience experts 

July marks the start of a new year for us, and with that an opportunity to refresh short and long-term goals. It is important to each of us at CPCQC that we are transparent about those goals; our three key focus areas for 2025-26 are:

1. Deep, statewide engagement. We will continue working hand-in-hand with every birthing hospital and region in Colorado to embed equity, safety, and quality into the delivery of care. 
2. Transparent reporting and actionable insight. We will share clear, public updates on the state of perinatal health in Colorado, along with targeted recommendations that help systems and stakeholders translate data into action. 
3. Champions of perinatal health. We will work hand-in-hand with our partners within clinical and community systems, at state and federal agencies, and legislators to ensure that Colorado leads the way in protecting and improving maternal and infant outcomes, especially in a rapidly changing federal-state policy and funding environment.  

None of this progress, or the path ahead, would be possible without the commitment of our partners and the broader community that shares in this vision. Whether you’re delivering care, shaping policy, supporting families, or advocating for change, your work makes this collective effort real. We’re proud to continue this journey together and look forward to all we will achieve in the year ahead.