During a virtual event held Wednesday, Oct. 20, the hospitals of Community Healthcare System were recognized for their commitment to infant and maternal health by the Indiana Hospital Association (IHA), in partnership with Governor Eric J. Holcomb and State Health Commissioner Kris Box, MD, FACOG. The online ceremony marked the second annual INspire hospital recognition program.
INspire, funded by the Indiana Department of Health’s Safety PIN grant, was created to implement the delivery of best-practice care for Hoosier moms and babies. Recognition was given to hospitals for excellence in addressing key drivers of infant and maternal health. Community Hospital, Munster, has received the Hospital of Distinction award for 2021. St. Catherine Hospital, East Chicago and St. Mary Medical Center, Hobart, Family Birthing Center staff each earned the Category of Excellence award.
Governor Eric Holcomb acknowledged the hard work and resiliency of the healthcare workers across the state.
The lives of so many Hoosier babies and mothers are dependent and directly tied to your efforts,” Holcomb said. “Infant maternal mortality are at the top of our priority list and because of you, we are making huge strides impacting the lives of infants and mothers, families and communities all for the better.”
Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said that while the state’s health focus has been largely on the COVID-19 pandemic, progress is being made to reduce infant and maternal mortality in Indiana.
“Our infant mortality rate has fallen to the lowest level in recorded history,” Box said. “We have made significant improvements in our black infant mortality rate, but we still have work to do to eliminate the disparities that persist. That work continues in communities around the state through education about safe sleep, thru education about early prenatal care and efforts to connect women who receive Medicaid benefits with the My Healthy Baby (formerly known as OB Navigator Home Visiting program).”
The INspire award is based on implementation of best practices in the following key areas:
· infant safe sleep
· breastfeeding
· tobacco prevention and cessation
· perinatal substance use
· AIM Patient Safety Bundles: obstetric hemorrhage and maternal hypertension
Hospitals achieving a Category of Excellence recognition have met criteria in one, two or three of the 2021 categories. Hospitals attaining the INspire Hospital of Distinction award have met four or five of the criteria categories.
Community Healthcare System’s Family Birthing Center healthcare professionals have been leaders in safeguarding infants, mobilizing to put significant initiatives in place to set standards for healthy pregnancies and programs to give every infant their best start in life. Some of these initiatives include pioneering the use of Halo® Sleepsacks in the newborn and neonatal intensive care nurseries, promoting safe sleep practices, offering free counseling services to encourage and support breastfeeding and providing smoking cessation classes.
While Community Healthcare System hospitals work in unison on many of the healthy mom-baby initiatives, they also have been recognized separately for their individual programs and achievements. For example, St. Mary Medical Center is one of a handful of hospitals in the state of Indiana to be designated as a Baby-Friendly Hospital by Baby-Friendly USA. The nursery has received Level II OB and Level II nursery from the Indiana Department of Health, indicating a specialized level care for moderate to high-risk conditions. It is a Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care.
“By putting into practice health initiatives that aim to improve maternal and child wellness and reduce infant mortality numbers, we are proud to take a leadership stance in creating effective solutions to help moms and babies get a healthy start during the first year,” said Brittany Pankiewicz, RN, Family Birthing Center nurse manager, St. Mary Medical Center. “It is a top priority of the state of Indiana and a top priority of Community Healthcare System, as well.”
To help provide continuity in care for high-risk pregnancies, Community Hospital has a maternal-fetal medicine program, laborists on staff 24/7 and an Obstetric Emergency Department (OB-ED). The OB-ED is dedicated solely to pregnant women and those up to six weeks postpartum to ensure they receive timely diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, with regard to best breastfeeding practices, Community Hospital in 2020 became the only hospital in Northwest Indiana to receive the International Board of Lactation Consultants’ Care Award for its ‘role model’ efforts to promote optimal infant feeding.
“Community Healthcare System hospitals have a strong history of helping mothers and babies succeed in the first year of life,” said Carla Meyer, director, Patient Care Services, Community Hospital. “This is an ongoing process with the support of our entire team. Education and quality care for both routine and complex conditions serve as the foundation that we build on to create brighter futures.”
St. Catherine Hospital has been lauded by Lake Area United Way for efforts in mentoring first-time at-risk moms and offering mental health counseling. The hospital also partnered with Safe Haven to have a baby box installed as an added protective measure to enable a woman to anonymously surrender a newborn into a safe caring environment.
“Our nursing staff and providers work together to ensure our moms and babies have the best outcome, through our practices and education to reduce infant mortality,” said LaTina Ashana, RN, Family Birthing Center nurse manager, St. Catherine Hospital. “The Safety PIN program is vital in helping reduce infant mortality rates and aligns with our priority, which is the health and safety of our mothers and infants. Every measure we put into place gets us one step closer to that goal.”
For more about healthy beginnings at the Family Birthing Centers of Community Healthcare System, visit COMHS.org/baby.
