ROCKY MOUNTAIN PERINATAL INSTITUTE (RMPI) was created to optimize perinatal outcomes in non-urban environments -- A Western Montana focus with a worldwide impact.

 

The institute has two primary missions. First, to translate and perform obstetric research for the non-urban environment. Second, to elevate the quality of care in western Montana through patient and provider education, shared educational resources, collaborative development of checklists, protocols, policies and referral guidelines, and quality improvement data sharing and analytics.
 

Despite over one-half of the deliveries in the US occurring in non-urban environments, the great majority of obstetric research is performed in urban environments. The associated findings and conclusions have significant limitations when applied to non-urban environments. The institute supports original perinatal research targeting non-urban reproductive aged women and “translates” existing research from the urban environment to the non-urban environment.
 

The Institute recognizes that the most critical part of person’s physical development occurs in the womb. The fetal environment is the most important malleable predictor of long-term health and wellbeing. For example, the fetal environment and the baby’s birth weight is a much stronger predictor of subsequent adult diabetes and heart disease than the adult’s diet, exercise, tobacco use or sleep habits. A mother’s poor control of gestational diabetes has a profound impact on her posterity. Independent of her genetics, her poorly controlled diabetes promotes heart disease and diabetes for at least 8-9 generations of her offspring. The maternal nutrition status affects the fetal growth, risk of preeclampsia, and risk of preterm delivery. When mother is diagnosed with preeclampsia, the baby has a many fold increased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Preeclampsia is associated with a many fold increased risk of mental health disorders including depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. Preterm delivery has collectively the most costly impact on short and long term health related costs in our country.
 

The institute is a nidus for advancing perinatal care in our region. It serves as a forum for collaborative development of protocols, checklists and structures to support women as close to home as possible while identifying those who will benefit from telemedicine or regionalized consultation. The institute uses shared resources to provide patient and provider education including shared simulation training models/programs delivered locally. We use modern technology to support patients and providers—supporting close-to-home care through the efficiencies of central monitoring and local management. The institute provides a forum for data submission for voluntary quality assurance analysis/comparison.
 

Dr. M. Bardett Fausett, the founder and President of the Board of is currently practicing Maternal-Fetal Medicine in Western Montana. Prior to retiring from Active Duty service, Dr. Fausett led the obstetric program in the Department of Defense. In that role, he developed worldwide guidelines, checklists, and patient and provider tools for delivering obstetric care in many small DoD obstetric facilities. His quality improvement efforts continue to have a positive impact on the DoD. His involvement with the National Perinatal Nutrition group has helped guide FDA perinatal nutrition policies. Dr. Fausett partners with a talented team of physician and non-physician experts in guiding the efforts of RMPI.