SOAP Centers of ExcellenceCenter of Excellence logo

SOAP recognizes the presence of excellence in obstetric anesthesia care amongst many types of facilities with different delivery volumes.

We welcome applications from a wide range of institutions, low to high-volume centers, community centers, academic centers, and tertiary-referral centers, from the United States and worldwide.

2025 Application Cycle

General Information:

Recertification Information:

  • 2021 designees will reapply during the 2025 cycle for renewal in 2026.

 Congrats to the 2024 Center of Excellence Designees!

View the press release!

 

Why Become a SOAP Center of Excellence?

The SOAP Center of Excellence (COE) designation was created in 2018 to recognize institutions and programs that demonstrate excellence in obstetric anesthesia care and to set a benchmark of expected care to improve standards nationally and internationally.

It is an annual program, with new designees announced each spring. Designees are recognized by SOAP and peer organizations for their high standards of care and receive a plaque to display in a patient-facing area. Learn more about the COE program, processes, benefits, and fees here.

Center of Excellence Designees

 

Criteria

The COE criteria were generated by expert consensus and incorporate evidence-based recommendations. They cover all aspects of obstetric anesthesia care: personnel and staffing; equipment, protocols, and policies; simulation and team training; obstetric emergency management; cesarean delivery and labor analgesia care; recommendations and guidelines implementation; and quality assurance and patient follow-up systems. Criteria are reviewed annually by the COE Subcommittee and updated as appropriate.

Application Process

Application is a two-step process:
1) Intent to Apply Form, which includes payment of the $500 intent to apply fee. If you are a repeat applicant with a fee waiver, no payment is required but you must still submit the intent to apply form. Applications will be accepted only from those who complete the Intent to Apply Form. 
2) Application (Opens: July 15 2025; Closes: October, 15, 2025 - 11:59 PM Eastern)

  • The application requires detailed responses with the inclusion of the obstetric anesthesia lead’s CV and relevant policies and procedures as appropriate.
  • Applicants must provide evidence that they offer all essential criteria and the majority of the important criteria, as described in the application. No on-site visit is required. 
  • To better understand the details required, review the 2025 application (PDF, Word).
  • Application Instructions 
    • You can start the application and return at a later time.
    • If you choose to complete the application in more than one sitting and are unable to get into your original online application in Lime Survey, you will need to create a new submission.
      • Please inform SOAP headquarters [email protected] if this happens so that we can delete the original incomplete application.
  • If your institution was previously been designated a Center of Excellence, recertification is required every four years. SOAP will provide a copy of the original application for reference, upon request. Previous designees do need to complete the "Intent to Apply" form but do not pay the $500 fee. They must also complete the Application Form.

Timeline

  • Intent to Apply for the 2025 cycle is now available
  • Applications opens on July 15, 2025 and closes October 15, 2025, 11:59 PM Eastern
  • Applicants are notified of their status in March/April 2026
  • Designee certification/recertification fees are due by April 2026
  • Designees are honored at the SOAP Annual Meeting April 29 - May 3, 2026 in Montreal
  • Recertification is every four years. Institutions needing to recertify will be contacted during their cohort renewal cycle (listed on the COE Designees for each year) to complete an application. 
    • 2021 designees will reapply during the 2025 cycle for renewal in 2026.

Renewal of COE Designation

  • Recertification is every four years.
  • Institutions needing to recertify will be contacted during their cohort renewal cycle (listed on the COE Designees for each year) to complete an application.
  • Intent to Apply form is required but there is no Intent to Apply form fee for recertification. 
  • If recertified, the institute will recertification fee of $1,000 USD.

Vetting Process

Each application is reviewed and graded by the COE Subcommittee. The subcommittee will consider criteria within the context of the care setting (as defined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s obstetric care consensus on levels of maternal care; Obstet Gynecol. 2015;125:502–15). 

Tertiary/Referral Center (transfers “in” for specialty maternal care) will receive a COE designation indicating they are a tertiary referral center.

Applications may be accepted, provisionally accepted/reconsidered, or rejected by a majority vote of the subcommittee. If an application is provisionally accepted/reconsidered, the applicant will be allowed one month to provide clarifications and revisions. Some rejected applications may be offered application fee waivers if the institution reapplies the following year. This application fee waiver is given to institutions that the COE Subcommittee feels are close to being COE designations and provided a strong application. Awards are on a conditional approval basis; inaccurate reporting is grounds for revocation of the COE designation.

Recognition and Benefits

  • Designees will be highlighted in a SOAP news release and receive a plaque and certificate recognizing the achievement of Center of Excellence status.
  • Additional recognition will be provided during the SOAP Annual Meeting and on the SOAP website.
  • Recipients will be entitled to use the COE logo and the tagline "Center of Excellence" in media, communication and correspondence during the period the certification is valid.
  • In addition, select individuals from COE designated centers may be invited to serve on the subcommittee.

Research related to COE Data:

• Data gathered through the SOAP COE application process is an important source of information that may inform future SOAP initiatives and offerings related to clinical care, education, and research.
• Based on information related to obstetric anesthesia practices, resources, and staffing models, we can envision new SOAP Consensus Statements and additional research that may serve SOAP’s mission “To advance and advocate for the health of pregnant women and their babies through research, education, and best practices in obstetric anesthesia care and equitable care for women and newborns everywhere”.
• We encourage all SOAP members and SOAP COE designees to submit comments and ideas for research related to COE data.
• At the time of designation, recipients will be asked to indicate whether they are interested in contributing to research-related projects.

Fees

  • The application fee, which covers costs related to reviewing and certifying applications, is $500 USD and is paid by submission of the Intent to Apply Form.
  • If your institution is selected to be a COE, the certification fee of $3,000 USD applies (initial certification).
  • After four years, a recertification fee of $1,000 USD will apply.
  • Institutions who are recertifying complete the Intent to Apply Form at no cost. 
  • Fees are not refundable.

Helpful Resources