Beacon recognized by state as leader in mother-baby care
The exceptional care mothers and babies receive at Beacon Children’s Hospital and Memorial Hospital of South Bend has been validated by the Indiana State Department of Health by earning Level of Care III certification for neonatal intensive care and obstetrics.
Beacon Children’s Hospital
Beacon Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Memorial’s Obstetric Unit have met the state requirements for perinatal care that were put into place last year for all hospitals and birthing centers. The designation means the health system will continue to provide specialty care for more complex maternal and fetal conditions and complications.
“We have a long history of being the leading provider of maternal and newborn services throughout the region, with an excellent team of physicians, nurses and other medical professionals caring for them in an environment that has received worldwide attention,” said Memorial Hospital President Larry Tracy. “We are proud of our team and this recognition.”
Indiana recently put new requirements and standards into place for all hospitals and birthing centers. The health department has been surveying facilities and assigning each a new level of care: Level 1, basic care for low-risk pregnancies; Level II, special care for high-risk pregnancies; Level III, specialty management of severe maternal/fetal complications; and Level IV, regional comprehensive perinatal health center.
Since its inception in 1981, the NICU has consistently met similar Level III requirements established by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The unit was the first in the country to offer couplet care, which enables families to stay with their babies in private patient rooms for the duration of their stay. The Beacon Children’s NICU team has also participated in more than 100 research projects to bring the newest, most effective treatments to its patients.
The Memorial Hospital Obstetrics Unit separates itself from other facilities by providing 24-hour, in-house intensivists, physicians who specialize in the care of critically ill patients. Beacon also provides critical transportation services for high-risk mothers and babies across northern Indiana.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized by the Indiana State Department of Health as a Level III Obstetrics and Neonatal Care Center,” said Carole Harman, Beacon Health’s executive director of Women’s and Children’s Services. “We consider it a privilege and will continue to work together to provide high quality, compassionate specialty care for mothers and babies.”
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