Manning Family Children’s awarded the prestigious Vermont Oxford Network (VON) Excellence Award in Quality Improvement for optimizing neurodevelopment in infants

Children’s is 1 of 8 U.S. hospitals to receive the selective award, recognizing hospitals that demonstrate dedication to multidisciplinary, structured quality improvement in the care of infants and families.

NEW ORLEANS – Manning Family Children’s has been honored with the Vermont Oxford Network (VON) Award for Excellence in Quality Improvement, a distinguished national recognition that celebrates hospitals that demonstrate measurable, data-driven improvements in neonatal care.

The award recognizes Manning Family Children’s neonatology team for its innovative work to optimize neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) by reducing sleep disruption in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Through structured quality improvement methods, multidisciplinary collaboration, and family partnership, the expert team at Manning Family Children’s implemented practice changes that produced meaningful, measurable results for some of the hospital’s most medically fragile patients.

“This award represents far more than recognition,” said Dr. Christy Mumphrey, Service Line Chief for Neonatology at Manning Family Children’s. “It reflects our unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for the tiniest and most vulnerable babies in our care. Offering the highest level of neonatal care in the state, every improvement we make translates directly into better healing environments, stronger development, and brighter futures for our babies.”

About the Award-Winning Project:

The project recognized by the Vermont Oxford Network focused on improving care for infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a serious lung condition that primarily affects premature babies. These infants often require prolonged stays in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and are especially vulnerable to developmental challenges.

The team at Manning Family Children’s identified that frequent disruptions in the NICU environment, including routine caregiving activities, noise, and handling, were interfering with restorative sleep that is critical for brain growth and healing. Using a structured, improvement approach, the multidisciplinary team redesigned aspects of daily care to better protect infant sleep while still meeting complex medical needs. This included evaluating when and how care activities were clustered, reducing unnecessary disturbances, increasing staff awareness around sleep protection, and closely measuring outcomes to ensure changes were effective. The team tracked data over time to confirm that improvements were meaningful and sustainable.

The result was measurable improvement in care practices that support healthier neurodevelopment for medically fragile newborns. Rather than focusing only on survival or respiratory stability, the project emphasized long-term brain development and overall quality of life — reflecting a modern, forward-thinking approach to neonatal care.

What This Means for Patients and Families:

Being selected for the VON Award for Excellence in Quality Improvement reflects meaningful benefits for the infants and families served in the NICU at Manning Family Children’s – which is the only neonatal ICU in Louisiana with every medical and surgical specialty under one roof.

“The VON Excellence Award recognizes our ongoing commitment to deliver expert neonatal care with the highest level of safety and quality,” said Lucio A. Fragoso, President and Chief Executive Officer at Manning Family Children’s. “With plans announced just last week to construct a new, state-of-the-art expanded 60-bed NICU at our main campus, the VON Excellence Award in Quality Improvement is a powerful example of how Manning Family Children’s is working to make Louisiana a national leader in child health and wellbeing, starting with our most fragile and critically ill infants,” Fragoso added.

Recognition by the Vermont Oxford Network places Manning Family Children’s among leading neonatal centers nationwide, highlighting the hospital’s committed to continuous improvement, the highest standard of care, and a culture of collaboration among its physicians, nurses, therapists, and families.

“The involvement of family partners on our team is critical to our success,” said Dr. Julie Gallois, Director of Quality for Neonatology at Manning Family Children’s. “A family-centered quality improvement model is built on the idea that families are essential members of the care team, especially in the NICU. Their involvement helps ensure that improvement projects reflect what matters most to patients and families.”

For more than 70 years, Manning Family Children’s has proudly served as Louisiana’s only, freestanding, comprehensive children’s hospital with more than 600 pediatric-trained providers and 3,000 employees solely dedicated to the care of kids. In addition to comprehensive services offered at its main campus in New Orleans, Children’s operates a robust network of more than 30 satellite locations, pediatric affiliations across Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and robust and long-community programs designed to meet the health needs of the diverse communities it serves. At the heart of its mission, Manning Family Children’s is committed to delivering expert care for every child, every time – regardless of the family’s ability to pay.

To learn more visit manningchildrens.org/NICU │See the full project >>

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About Manning Family Children’s: Manning Family Children’s is a 263-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, just for children. With more than 600 pediatric providers, Manning Family Children’s offers a comprehensive array of specialized pediatric services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, Children’s operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Children’s offers primary care at 17 convenient locations, along with a network of statewide pediatric affiliations. Children’s is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans, West Jefferson Medical Center, East Jefferson General Hospital, Lakeview Hospital, and Lakeside Hospital. Learn more at manningchildrens.org.