The New Hampshire Perinatal Program: twenty years of perinatal outreach education.
OBJECTIVE
To describe 20 years of regional outreach education by the New Hampshire Perinatal Program, its interaction with all 26 community hospitals in the state with maternity services and an additional four in adjoining Vermont.


METHODS
This paper describes educational initiatives responsive to the needs of perinatal physicians and nurses. The core of the program is the transport conference held annually at each referring hospital in which maternal-fetal and infant referrals are discussed. There are additional community hospital-based programs, programs at convenient locations in the region and medical center conferences and skills programs.


RESULTS
The program annually awards 10,000 continuing medical education credits (CME) and nursing contact hours. Evaluation and feedback from all participants is encouraged. New Hampshire has one of the lowest perinatal mortality rates in the county, which reflects in part the accomplishments of the program.


CONCLUSIONS
Perinatal outreach education is a shared responsibility of providers in both the academic center and community hospitals and is necessary to ensure optimal care for mothers and infants.
Frank
J E
JE
Department of Pediatrics, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
Rhodes
T T
TT
Edwards
W H
WH
Darnall
R A
RA
Smith
B D
BD
Little
G A
GA
Baker
E R
ER
Stys
S J
SJ
Flanagan
V A
VA
D003159:Community-Institutional Relations / Q000191:economics; D004496:Education, Continuing; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017283:Neonatal Nursing; D009513:New Hampshire; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D014707:Vermont