Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Community Healthcare - (Page 4)

B A Future abies in nurseries across Northwest Indiana are sleeping more safely and new parents have peace of mind, thanks to the vigilant efforts of the nursing staff at Community Healthcare System hospitals. Nurses sprang into action after a sobering statistic was brought to their attention: As of 2009, Lake County recorded an alarmingly high number of sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs) compared with all other counties in Indiana. With hospitals of the Community Healthcare System (Community Hospital in Munster, St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart) leading Lake County in infant deliveries, the hospitals’ nursery staff members were determined to take a leadership stance in keeping babies safe. By taking education and awareness to another level—and to other hospitals across Northwest Indiana—one by one, families are beginning to follow the new recommended guidelines. “While patient care begins at our hospitals, sometimes that care needs to reach beyond our campuses for the good of the entire community,” says John Gorski, chief operating ofﬁcer of Community Healthcare System. “We’re proud that our nurses made the decision to spread the word about proper sleep environments and take a leading role in preventing the tragic deaths of babies.” AN EARLY EDUCATION Educators at the hospitals, including Mary Puntillo, neonatal nurse clinician at Community Hospital, spread the message of safe sleeping methods for babies in an effort to move Lake County out of the position as the Indiana county with the most SUIDs. “Safe sleep practices are taught from the get-go,” Puntillo says. “New moms are seeing it, hearing it from the moment baby is born, and we’re teaching it in our communities with Taking Care of Baby and Grandparent classes.” SUIDs, for the most part, are preventable and are a result of unsafe sleep practices. According to First Candle, one of the nation’s leading nonproﬁt organizations dedicated to the survival of babies through the ﬁrst years of life, there are 4,500 SUIDs per year in the U.S. Eighty to 90 percent of those deaths are from babies sleeping in an unsafe environment. Hospital staff worked to increase the education and awareness, and began using HALO sleeper sacks for babies born in their hospitals. A HALO® SleepSack™ is a soft, wearable blanket with a swaddle feature that replaces loose blankets in 4 Vim & Vigor · W I N TER 2 011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Community Healthcare
Contents
Community Message
Community Briefs
A Future of Lullabies and Good Nights
Exceeding Your Expectations
Back in Action
Supplementary Knowledge
Keys to Survival
Clearing the Air
Mark Harmon of NCIS fame makes 60 look good
This One’s for the Girls
Life After a Loss
Do Your Diabetes Homework
Healthy Returns
Beyond Blue
Spotlight on St. Mary Medical Center
Spotlight on Community Hospital
Spotlight on St. Catherine Hospital
Helping Families in Crisis
The Real Sims: Unleashed

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Community Healthcare