Maternity-related care is one of the largest expenses for the U.S. healthcare system today. The growing cost of care is shouldered by individuals, employers, and insurers alike, threatening to reach unsustainable levels. Despite the volume of capital these stakeholders are sacrificing for maternity and birth services, the country is still experiencing an epidemic involving soaring rates of premature births, postnatal complications, unnecessary cesarean procedures, and maternal mortality. After recognizing these trends, most of which have manifested in hospital settings, more American women are pursuing birth centers as an alternative delivery option.

In a growing, dynamic healthcare regulatory environment it is becoming consistently more important for vendors to provide extremely flexible software solutions to all clinicians. Clinical decision support systems are poised to become the user interface of choice for clinical interactions with health IT.

Medicare is undergoing a remarkable reorganization. In recent years, Americans over the age of 65 have shifted from traditional Medicare plans to Medicare plans operated by private insurers — also known as Medicare Advantage (MA) plans — at staggering rates. In light of this growth, MA insurers are fighting to stay competitive. One key component: star ratings.