Beacon hospitals recognized for excellence in infant and maternal health by IHA

The Indiana Hospital Association recognized Elkhart General Hospital and Memorial Hospital of South Bend this week for their commitment to infant and maternal health at the first INspire Hospital of Distinction recognition program.

Funded by the Indiana Department of Health’s Safety PIN grant, INspire was developed to implement the delivery of best practice care for Hoosier moms and babies and recognize hospitals for excellence in addressing key drivers of infant and maternal health. The awards were given in partnership with Governor Eric J. Holcomb and State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG.

Elkhart General and Memorial earned a Hospital of Distinction recognition based on implementing best practices in five key areas, including infant safe sleep, breastfeeding, tobacco prevention and cessation, perinatal substance use, and obstetric hemorrhage.

Community Hospital of Bremen was also recognized for its commitment to infant and maternal health.

“We are very proud of this accomplishment and what it means to families in our region,” said Sam El-Dalati, MD, Chief Clinical Officer at Beacon Health System, which includes Elkhart General, Memorial and Community Hospital of Bremen.

“Through the dedicated work of our Clinical Excellence Council and those who provide care for mothers and babies, we are honored to provide this level of excellence to our community,” Dr. El-Dalati said.

Indiana’s birthing hospitals are critical partners as we work to drive down infant mortality, said Gov. Holcomb.

“Thanks to their efforts, Indiana’s infant mortality rate has fallen to the lowest level in state recorded history,” he said. “Together we will continue this important work to save even more lives and give every Hoosier newborn the best opportunity ahead.”

Dr. Box said she is inspired by the work and passion our birthing hospitals bring to make sure all babies born in Indiana have the best start at life.

“Reducing infant and maternal mortality requires a multi-pronged approach over the course of many years to see impactful change,” Dr. Box said. “We’re seeing that change happen, but we can’t stop now. We must continue to adopt best practices so that we can celebrate more first birthdays in Indiana.”

Box also noted that among many successes, Indiana has seen a nearly 30 percent drop in Indiana’s black infant mortality rate in just two years.

“Indiana hospitals are grateful for the leadership of Governor Holcomb and Dr. Box and are thrilled to be a partner in Indiana’s successful effort to reduce infant mortality,” said IHA President Brian Tabor. “We look forward to building on the progress we’ve made and achieving Governor Holcomb’s goal for Indiana to have the lowest rate of infant mortality in the Midwest by 2024.”

Indiana Hospital Association serves as the professional trade association for more than 170 acute care, critical access, behavioral health, and other specialized hospitals in Indiana.