UMMC's Wiser Hospital, Stroke Center garner recognition
Published on Tuesday, September 7, 2021
UMMC’s Wiser Hospital honored for newborn feeding practices
The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s work in supporting new mothers in feeding their babies has received an exemplary overall score in a national survey of newborn feeding practices in U.S. hospitals.
The Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care survey has awarded UMMC’s Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants a total average score of 95 on a 100-point scale. That score tops the U.S. average of 81, the southeast U.S. region of 78 and an 84 for similar-sized hospitals with between 2,000 and 4,999 births per year.
The survey is conducted for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by Battelle Health.
“It is evident that the culture at UMMC has changed, and we continue to meet and surpass our goals, despite COVID-19 in the past 12-18 months,” said Alice Chaney Herndon, the Medical Center’s director of nursing adult services and leader of Wiser’s postpartum care. “COVID has presented us with numerous challenges, but we continue to strive to offer the best to our mothers and babies.”
Wiser’s newest subscores include a 93 for immediate postpartum care, which involves skin-to-skin contact between mom and baby after delivery and observation of newborns following birth; 100 for rooming-in, which means the percent of newborns who stay in the room with their mom for 24 hours a day unless they must be separated for medical reasons; and 100 for feeding education, which includes identifying and solving breastfeeding problems, recognizing baby’s feeding cues, and safely preparing and feeding formula.
Subscores also included a 77 for feeding practices, which measures the percentage of healthy, term newborns who are fed formula, and the counseling offered to moms who request infant formula about possible health consequences for their baby and the success of breastfeeding; 100 for discharge support of mothers, which includes direct observation of breastfeeding moms before discharge and the scheduling of post-discharge follow-up visits for lactation support; and 100 for institutional management, which evaluates competencies of nurses that include assisting with effective newborn positioning and latch for breastfeeding and assessing milk transfer during breastfeeding and safe formula preparation and feeding.
“It has definitely taken a team approach to get us to where we are today,” Herndon said. “I am excited about continuing to improve the care we provide for our moms and babies in Mississippi.”
Stroke Center receives kudos for exemplary patient care
The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Stroke Center has been honored with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines-Gold Plus Achievement Award.
The two associations annually recognize health care facilities that apply the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatment guidelines to improve patient care and outcomes in their communities. Hospitals receiving the GoldPlus Achievement Award, the AHA says, “have reached an aggressive goal of treating patients with 85 percent or higher compliance to core standard levels of care as outlined by the AHA/ASA for two consecutive calendar years.”
The two associations specifically lauded the Stroke Center for treating with thrombolytics at least 85 percent of eligible acute ischemic stroke patients within 60 minutes of their arrival. Thrombolytics are medicines that help break down clots blocking blood vessels. Patients who safely receive thrombolytics faster have better chances to save the most brain cells.
The more brain cells saved can equal fewer permanent problems from a stroke caused by a blocked vessel.
“The UMMC Stroke Center is very happy to have been designated by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association as a Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Hospital,” said Dr. Chad Washington, Stroke Center medical director, professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery.
“This award demonstrates the ongoing commitment UMMC has in achieving the highest quality care for our stroke patients. Our ability to achieve this level of care is the result of the work done by a large number of dedicated people within the UMMC community,” Washington said. “I and the Stroke Center want to very much thank everyone for their relentless efforts in helping us to continually improve our stroke program.”