Maternity & Newborn : St. David's HealthCare

Ronald McDonald House Charities Opens New Family Room at St. David's Medical Center

reedsmith — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:39:44 GMT

Ronald McDonald House Charities Seeks 30 Volunteers to Assist with

New Family Room at St. David's Medical Center-the Largest in Central Texas
AUSTIN, Texas-Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas (RMHC Austin) is scheduled to open a new Ronald McDonald Family Room at St. David's Medical Center in June.

The new Ronald McDonald Family Room at St. David's Medical Center will be the largest in the region, and it will have a significant impact on the families of medically fragile infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at St. David's Medical Center-the largest Level III NICU in Central Texas. Last year alone, the St. David's Medical Center NICU treated 650 babies with an average length of stay of 27 days.

"We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Ronald McDonald House Charities to provide NICU families with a comfortable place to stay within our hospital while their baby is being treated," Don Wilkerson, chief executive officer of St. David's Medical Center, said. "A stay in the NICU can be stressful and sometimes difficult for families, especially those who live outside the region. In addition to providing the best possible medical care for their infants, we want to ensure that the families are cared for as well."

The 1,300 square-foot Family Room will consist of a living room, kitchenette, four bedrooms, two ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-accessible bathrooms, a big-screen television and two computers. It will provide a restful place within the hospital where families with a baby in the NICU can spend the night, take a shower, enjoy a snack, access the Internet, watch television, check email, visit with other families or simply get away from the beeping of the hospital monitors for a few moments.

Many of the families who will use the new Family Room live within the Austin area. However, more than 40 percent of the families live outside of Austin and often travel a great distance to be with their babies during this challenging time.

"Research shows that a family's presence in the hospital helps children heal faster and cope better," Ann Jerome, chief operating officer of RMHC Austin, said. "The Ronald McDonald Family Room encourages families to stay at the hospital and allows them to better communicate with their child's medical team and improve adherence to complicated treatment plans."

RMHC Austin is in immediate need of 30 volunteers to help with the new Family Room at St. David's Medical Center. Volunteers will work a weekly, four-hour shift to support families caring for their hospitalized children.

"The Ronald McDonald Family Room program thrives when our volunteers are present to support families," Derrick Lesnau, RMHC Austin programs director, said. "Volunteers create a supportive and caring environment that is essential to providing an on-site respite for families with children being treated in the NICU."��

St. David's Medical Center features a 65-bed Level III NICU and offers a wide range of services, including neonatal surgical care. The NICU consists of an in-house team of nurses and board-certified neonatologists, with board-certified pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, cardiologists, neurologists, nephrologists and other pediatric subspecialists available around the clock to handle the most complicated cases. Physicians at the NICU at St. David's Medical Center perform more neonatal surgeries annually than any other facility in the Austin area.

The Ronald McDonald Family Room at St. David's Medical Center will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

This is the third Ronald McDonald Family Room to open in Austin. RMHC Austin opened its first Family Room at St. David's Women's Center of Texas, located at St. David's North Austin Medical Center, in 2009. Then, in September 2011, it opened a Family Room at Dell Children's Medical Center.

To learn more about how to volunteer or to get additional information about the program, visit the Ronald McDonald Family Room page of the RMHC Austin website at RMHC-Austin.org/Family-Room-St-Davids.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas
Through its Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room programs, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. The Ronald McDonald House, with its 30 rooms for families, provides lodging and support services in a nurturing, home-like environment where families stay together while caring for their critically ill or injured children receiving treatment in Austin-area hospitals. The Ronald McDonald Family Rooms inside St. David's Women's Center of Texas, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, and coming soon to St. David's Medical Center, are places of rest and support within the walls of the hospitals for families with children in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units. In 2011, RMHC Austin served over 1300 families in all programs combined.

St. David's Medical Center
St. David's Medical Center is part of St. David's HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, which was recognized in January 2012 as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare. Founded in 1924, St. David's Medical Center is a full-service medical center offering comprehensive medical care at three locations-St. David's Medical Center, located at 919 East 32nd�Street in Austin; Heart Hospital of Austin, located at�3801 North Lamar Blvd.; and St. David's Georgetown Hospital,�located in Georgetown at 2000 Scenic Drive. The three campuses offer a full range of medical specialties, as well as many other innovative health care services.

St. David's Medical Center in central Austin includes a�350-bed acute care hospital and a freestanding, 64-bed rehabilitation hospital providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. St. David's�Medical Center provides a complete range of women's services, including its acclaimed maternity unit, maternal fetal medicine,�a�high-risk maternal and neonatal transport team,�the region's largest and most sophisticated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, The Breast Center, and a fertility center; is home to the internationally acclaimed Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute; NeuroTexas Institute�(including�the TIA Center for Stroke Prevention and designation as a Primary Stroke Center); complex surgical services; a comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center; and a 24-hour emergency department.

Thomson Reuters named St. David's Medical Center to the list of 100 Top Hospitals in 2010, 2011 and 2012. For more information, please visit�StDavids.com.

St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Designated as a 2012 Texas Ten Step Facility

reedsmith — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:37:35 GMT

Award Recognizes Hospital as Supportive Environment for New Mothers

ROUND ROCK, Texas-St. David's Round Rock Medical Center has been designated as a 2012 Texas Ten Step facility by the Department of State Health Services and the Texas Hospital Association. This annual designation is awarded to birthing facilities that provide optimal care to improve breastfeeding outcomes and the health of newborns and infants.

The Texas Ten Step Program encourages breastfeeding as the preferred method of feeding for newborns and infants. This designation recognizes that St. David's Round Rock Medical Center is providing an environment that creates positive outcomes for breastfeeding families and supports new mothers and their decision to breastfeed.

St. David's Round Rock Medical Center has implemented 10 goals, or "steps," to support mothers who intend to breastfeed their infants. Texas Ten Step facilities are asked to address 85 percent of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, be designated as a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite, evaluate their breastfeeding policies and maternity care practices, and routinely educate all health care staff with evidence-based courses.

Based on the World Health Organization and UNICEF's Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, the program aims to assist birthing facilities' support of breastfeeding mothers before, during and after delivery; encourages them to identify breastfeeding resources for the mother after she is discharged; and encourages facilities to reach the Healthy People 2020 goal of having 82 percent of mothers exclusively breastfeeding when they go home with their newborn.

The Texas Medical Association officially endorsed the Texas Ten Step Program in 2009 to encourage hospitals to create an environment that supports the breastfeeding mother.

For more information on the Texas Ten Step Program at St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, call Veronica Hendrix, program coordinator, at (512) 341-4592, or visit www.TexasTenStep.org.

St. David's Round Rock Medical Center
St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, located in Round Rock at 2400 Round Rock Avenue, is part of St. David's HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, which was recognized in January 2012 as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare. With 170 beds, this acute care hospital provides comprehensive health services to residents of Williamson County and the surrounding areas. Services include The Heart and Vascular Center with express testing, maternity and newborn services with Level I and II nurseries at The Women's Center, and a 24-hour emergency department, providing Level II trauma care in Williamson County. St. David's Round Rock Medical Center is also known for advanced orthopedic and bariatric services, among other complex specialties. Thomson Reuters named St. David's Round Rock Medical Center to the list of 100 Top Hospitals in 2012. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.

St. David's Women's Center of Texas Offers Latest Stereotactic Technology for Mammograms

korr — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:56:25 GMT

New Equipment Improves the Quality, Accuracy and Ease of Breast Biopsies

AUSTIN-St. David's Women's Center of Texas, located at St. David's North Austin Medical Center, has expanded its health and wellness services available to women with the addition of the MultiCare PlatinumT and Suros ATEC� Breast Biopsy and Excision System for use under stereotactic (x-ray) imaging.

These platforms, manufactured by Hologic, Inc., are state-of-the-art systems designed to improve the quality, accuracy and ease of breast biopsies. The process uses advanced computer-assisted technology, known as digital stereotactic localization, to map the precise site of a breast abnormality before a tissue sample is taken for analysis.

"Breast biopsies are imperative to identifying and diagnosing breast cancer, and early detection is the key to successful treatment and recovery," Newell Dutton, M.D., an interventional radiologist and the chief of radiology at St. David's Women's Center of Texas, said. "The St. David's Women's Center of Texas is committed to providing exceptional care to the women in our community, and we hope these new systems will help make their biopsy experience more comfortable."

The unique design of the MultiCare table allows a woman to be in a prone position while the biopsy is being performed, providing maximum comfort. The ATEC is a fully closed system that uses vacuum-assisted technology to perform a true one-minute breast biopsy. The precision of the ATEC allows for larger, more intact tissue samples. Samples are obtained through a very small incision in the skin, eliminating the need for post-biopsy stitches, and minimizing procedure and wound-healing times. This allows most patients to return to daily activities immediately following the procedure.

St. David's Women's Center of Texas works collaboratively with the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Texas to provide a comprehensive scope of services addressing the physical, emotional and educational needs of its patients. Every patient receives personalized care designed to meet her individual needs, with highly trained staff and state-of-the-art equipment.

For more information about the St. David's Women's Center of Texas and the Breast Cancer Resource Center, please call (512) 901-6623, or visit St.Davids.com.

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St. David's North Austin Medical Center
St. David's North Austin Medical Center, located at 12221 North Mopac Expressway, is part of St. David's HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, which was recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters in January 2012. The 332-bed multi-specialty, acute care facility is dedicated to the highest level of women's health services, including maternity and newborn care with Level I, II and III nurseries at the adjacent St. David's Women's Center of Texas, as well as a 24-hour emergency department, the Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery, heart and vascular center, neurology and neurosurgery, a kidney transplant program, inpatient and outpatient surgery, and acute inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, among many others. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.

St. David's Medical Center First Hospital in Austin To Become Certified Cord Blood Donation Center

korr — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:03:41 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas-On Feb. 14, 2012, St. David's Medical Center became the first hospital in Austin to join the Texas Cord Blood Bank's (TCBB) cord blood collection program. The TCBB, a division of the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (STBTC), is a nonprofit program established by the Texas legislature in 2001 to collect umbilical cord blood, which can benefit patients, usually children, suffering from a number of potentially fatal diseases.

"We are pleased that St. David's Medical Center is the first in Austin to collect this life-saving resource at no cost to our patients," according to Don Wilkerson. "By collecting cord blood donations, we have the potential to help save lives, not only in our immediate area, but also across the globe."

Umbilical cord blood, which is typically discarded after the birth of a baby, is rich in blood-making cells that can be used as an alternative to bone marrow transplants to treat cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, disorders of the blood-making system such as sickle cell anemia, and severe immune-system disorders.

There is no cost to parents at St. David's Medical Center who wish to bank their baby's cord blood through this public cord blood program.

"Prior to the launch of this new program, parents often opted not to donate their baby's cord blood because the process was costly and time consuming," Laraine McIntyre, director of women's services at St. David's Medical Center, said. "Through the TCBB program, we take that burden off our patients. The only thing an expectant mother needs to do is to let her physician know her intentions prior to delivery."

"With every addition to the public cord blood bank, the registry offers patients a better chance at finding a life-saving match. As ethnicity often plays a key role in finding a match, collecting donations from all ethnicities helps build a diverse registry that will benefit patients of all backgrounds," Mary Beth Fisk, director of TCBB, said. "We thank St. David's Medical Center for providing a central Texas location for parents to contribute to the life-saving registry."

"I am thrilled the Austin community now has the opportunity to donate life-saving cord blood," Craig Hester, member of Austin Advisory Council for Texas Cord Blood Bank, said. "So many people have worked hard to establish this partnership, and we're excited to see the bank grow for those in need."

TCBB's first collections began in June 2005 at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, and new collection centers have since opened in other cities, including Brownsville, Dallas, Houston, New Braunfels and Waco, as part of the statewide effort to build a cord blood bank that captures the diversity of all Texans.

Other St. David's HealthCare facilities are also exploring partnerships with TCBB.

St. David's Medical Center
St. David's Medical Center is part of St. David's HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, which was recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters in January 2012. Founded in 1924, St. David's Medical Center is a full-service medical center offering comprehensive medical care at three locations-St. David's Medical Center, located at 919 East 32nd Street in Austin; Heart Hospital of Austin, located at 3801 North Lamar Blvd.; and St. David's Georgetown Hospital, located in Georgetown at 2000 Scenic Drive. The three campuses offer a full range of medical specialties, as well as many other innovative health care services.

St. David's Medical Center in central Austin includes a 350-bed acute care hospital and a freestanding, 64-bed rehabilitation hospital providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. St. David's Medical Center provides a complete range of women's services, including its acclaimed maternity unit, maternal fetal medicine, a high-risk maternal and neonatal transport team, the region's largest and most sophisticated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, The Breast Center, and a fertility center; is home to the internationally acclaimed Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute; NeuroTexas Institute (including the TIA Center for Stroke Prevention and designation as a Primary Stroke Center); complex surgical services; a Bariatric Center of Excellence; and a 24-hour emergency department.

St. David's Medical Center was named to the list of 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare, in 2009 and 2010 (awarded in 2011). St. David's Medical Center was the only hospital in Central Texas to be included on the list. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.

Texas Cord Blood Bank
Specially approved by the Texas legislature and the first in the State, the Texas Cord Blood Bank - a division of the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center - is a source of ethnically diverse, life-saving umbilical cord blood. With more than 30,000 people currently waiting for a transplant to be found, donor families across Texas have turned the birth of one child - their child - into hope for families around the world. For more information, please visit SouthTexasBlood.org.

St. David's Medical Center Launches "Baby Matters" Nurse Navigator Service, Designed to Care for Infants Needing Special Medical Care and Their Mothers

reedsmith — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:45:52 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas-St. David's Medical Center recently launched its new "Baby Matters" Nurse Navigator service, designed to help mothers of high-risk infants prepare for their baby's stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

"Every baby matters, and every life that begins or is nurtured at St. David's Medical Center is precious," Rhonda Sageser, director of the Level III NICU at St. David's Medical Center, said. "While we hope that every baby is born healthy, occasionally, infants need special medical attention, and this service helps families prepare for those circumstances."

Expectant mothers whose infants may require NICU care-due to medical conditions requiring surgery or prematurity-are referred to St. David's Medical Center by their physicians before the baby is born. A Nurse Navigator then connects with the patient and her family to coordinate a visit to St. David's Medical Center's NICU, its maternity areas and a face-to-face consultation with a board-certified neonatologist regarding the care and expectations for their infant after birth.

In addition to familiarizing patients and their families with St. David's Medical Center, the program aims to dispel fears, encourage informed decision making, and increase parents' understanding of the NICU while guiding them through this unique and often difficult experience.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, delivery of a high-risk infant should be planned to occur in a facility capable of providing the anticipated level of NICU care. St. David's Medical Center is the only hospital in the Austin area where a mother and her neonate requiring surgery can be cared for in the same facility.

"Since the program launched earlier this year, we have received more than 30 referrals from patients whose infants needed surgical care," Sageser said. "So far, the feedback from patients and physicians has been overwhelmingly positive."

St. David's Medical Center features a 65-bed Level III NICU-the largest in Central Texas-and offers a wide range of services, including neonatal surgical care. The NICU features an in-house team of nurses and board-certified neonatologists, with board-certified pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, cardiologists, neurologists, nephrologists and other pediatric subspecialists available around the clock to handle the most complicated cases. Physicians at the NICU at St. David's Medical Center perform more neonatal surgeries annually than any other facility in the Austin area.

St. David's Medical Center's NICU also features an exceptional, bilingual NICU parent education program called "Journeys." The program is designed to welcome parents and provide them with a basic understanding of the NICU, as well as prepare them for a long-term stay and educate them about caring for their infants after hospital discharge. The program is administered by a team of NICU nurses.

Additionally, St. David's Medical Center offers infant CPR and special needs classes, which are available to any family taking a baby home with a special need, such as oxygen or a gastrostomy tube or tracheostomy.

Call (512) 544-5189 for more information regarding any Baby Matters service or to schedule a tour.

St. David's Medical Center
St. David's Medical Center is part of St. David's HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas. Founded in 1924, St. David's Medical Center is a full-service medical center offering comprehensive medical care at three locations-St. David's Medical Center, located at 919 East 32nd�Street in Austin; Heart Hospital of Austin, located at�3801 North Lamar Blvd.; and St. David's Georgetown Hospital,�located in Georgetown at 2000 Scenic Drive. The three campuses offer a full range of medical specialties, as well as many other innovative health care services.

St. David's Medical Center in central Austin includes a�350-bed acute care hospital and a freestanding, 64-bed rehabilitation hospital providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. St. David's�Medical Center is home to the internationally acclaimed Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute; NeuroTexas Institute�(including�the TIA Center for Stroke Prevention and designation as a Primary Stroke Center); complete range of women's services, including its acclaimed maternity unit, maternal fetal medicine, the region's largest and most sophisticated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, The Breast Center, and a fertility center; complex surgical services; a Bariatric Center of Excellence; and a 24-hour emergency department.

In 2011, for the second consecutive year, St. David's Medical Center was named to the list of 100 Top Hospitals�by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of health care. St. David's Medical Center was the only hospital in Central Texas to be included on the list. For more information, please visit�StDavids.com.