South Lake Hospital Obstetrics recognized for reducing early elective deliveries
Along with this recognition, South Lake Hospital also recently earned a five-star rating in maternity care by Healthgrades, an online resource for finding hospitals and physicians.
MEDIA CONTACT
Kim Couch
352.241.7122
[email protected]
Esteban Meneses
March of Dimes
321.274.8683
[email protected]
CLERMONT, Fla. — South Lake Hospital’s (SLH) Obstetrics Department was honored by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) District XII (Florida) and the March of Dimes for reducing the number of early elective inductions and cesarean deliveries with a special recognition banner.
The hospital recently met the criteria to qualify for this distinction, which includes achieving a rate for elective deliveries before 39 completed weeks of pregnancy of five percent or lower and that they have policies in place to prevent such deliveries. South Lake Hospital was the only hospital in Lake County to receive this recognition.
“This achievement is an ongoing team effort that involves physicians, nursing and support staff,” said Mary Beth Lewis-Boardman, M.D., a local board-certified obstetrics and gynecology physician, who is affiliated with South Lake Hospital and is a member of ACOG. “Everyone at South Lake Hospital is passionate about providing excellence in perinatal care and I take pride in being a part of these efforts.”
“We are delighted to present this commemorative banner to South Lake Hospital for adhering to standards that directly benefit the health of babies,” said Dr. Karen Harris, chairwoman of the Program Services Committee for the March of Dimes Florida Chapter. “The last few weeks of pregnancy are extremely important for the baby’s brain and lung development, among other organs, so we want to commend this momentous achievement.”
“Studies have shown that deliveries that are scheduled for convenience or other non-medical reasons may increase harm to infants, increase health care costs, and worsen medical outcomes,” said Dr. Robert Yelverton, chairman of ACOG District XII. “We are extremely pleased with South Lake Hospital’s participation.”
Along with this recognition, South Lake Hospital also recently earned a five-star rating in maternity care by Healthgrades, an online resource for finding hospitals and physicians. The five-star rating indicates outcomes are better than the national average and for maternity care.
The obstetric department is involved in several quality and educational initiatives to ensure that South Lake Hospital is utilizing evidenced based best practices to provide safe care for women in the community. These include participation in the ACOG Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative and the Florida Hospital Association (FHA) Hospital Engagement Network.
“We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of highly-trained OB/GYN physicians, such as Dr. Lewis-Boardman, delivering at our Centre for Women’s Health,” commented John Moore, South Lake Hospital president. “The shared mission between the physicians and our team members to provide each and every patient with the very best care is what continues to allow our obstetrics department to excel.”
About the LiveWell South Lake Hospital Campus:
South Lake Hospital’s mission is to improve the health and quality of life of the individuals and communities in South Lake County. The LiveWell South Lake Hospital Campus includes the 122-bed non-profit hospital, in partnership with Orlando Health, Centre for Women’s Health, LiveWell Fitness Center, National Training Center, South Lake Endoscopy Center, South Lake Wound Care Center and South Lake Surgery Center. South Lake Hospital has been serving the healthcare needs of the South Lake community since 1947 and employs 1,100 employees and has more than 280 physicians on its medical staff. The campus focuses on preventative healthcare through health, sports and fitness programming.
About March of Dimes:
Reducing early elective deliveries and improving the health of moms and babies is just one of the key focus areas of the March of Dimes and their “Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait” campaign. In an average week in Florida 549 babies are born preterm and 29 die before their first birthday, many times as a result of their early births. Early elective deliveries can cause lifelong health challenges for the baby, including breathing difficulty, cerebral palsy, and learning disabilities. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. Find out how you can help raise funds to prevent premature birth and birth defects by walking in March for Babies at marchforbabies.org.
