Gateway Medical Center Recognized for Leadership in Improving Infant Health
8/1/2014
Tennessee Hospital Association’s (THA) Tennessee Center for Patient Safety recently recognized Gateway Medical Center for its leadership in reducing the number of babies born electively between 37 and 39 weeks. The risk of complications is greater with early births. Babies given opportunity to grow to at least 39 weeks, experience better development of vital organs such as the brain, lungs and liver.
Gateway met its goal of decreasing the number of babies delivered electively between 37 and 39 weeks gestation to 5 percent or less and has maintained this success for a minimum of six consecutive months. These babies have a dramatic increase in their chances for good physical and developmental health. It also allows for better health and safety of the mother.
“Babies born too early are at risk for respiratory distress, jaundice, hypoglycemia and other conditions that require more medical care and put them at greater risk for death before their first birthday,” said Craig A. Becker, THA president. “That is why the work being done at Gateway Medical Center is so vitally important. Results like these represent the combined efforts of all professionals at this hospital, from the physicians and nursing staff to the board of trustees.”
Gateway is part of a statewide
Healthy Tennessee Babies Are Worth the Wait initiative launched less than two years ago to increase awareness of the benefits of full-term delivery. In May 2012, nearly 16 percent of all Tennessee deliveries that occurred prior to 39 weeks gestation were considered elective. Today, that number has been reduced by almost 85 percent. Among other activities, Gateway adopted a strict hard-stop policy that prohibits early elective deliveries before 39 weeks unless there is a clear medical risk to the mother or the baby.
Leading Gateway’s initiative is Obstetrician/Gynecologist Jeffrey Hamre DO. “We are trying to push this nationally, not just for Tennessee,” Dr. Hamre said. “We’ve been working at Gateway on this effort, and we have succeeded.”
In 2012 Gateway delivered 14 babies before 39 weeks and this year to date, only one.
Healthy Tennessee Babies Are Worth the Wait is a partnership of hospitals, the Tennessee Department of Health, THA, Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care, March of Dimes and Tennessee Center for Patient Safety. The coalition received national recognition as an example of successful collaboration in patient safety. Visit
www.healthytennesseebabies.com.
Gateway Team left to right: Maternal Child Director Anne Wilson, RN; Stephanie Biggar, RN; Dr. Jeffrey Hamre OB/Gyn; Jessica Rule, RN; Nurse Manager Amy White, RN; Alea Couly, RN and Dr. Bradley Stancombe Neonatologist.
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