Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, TX –
San Antonio Military Medical Center at Joint Base San
Antonio-Fort Sam Houston was recently recognized by the National Safe Sleep
Hospital Certification Program as a “Silver Certified Sleep Leader,” for its
commitment to best practices and education on infant safe sleep. SAMMC is the
first hospital in Texas to receive this recognition.
“While the title of first hospital in Texas to receive
certification is exciting, we just hope it symbolizes the role San Antonio
Military Medical Center and our joint pediatric clinics in San Antonio play as
a leader in reducing sudden unexpected infant deaths, or SUIDs,” said U.S. Air
Force Maj. Nicholas Carr, SAMMC staff neonatologist. “Our patients deserve to
know that our providers and nurses are doing everything they can to improve the
safety of our future service members and providing safe home sleeping
environments for all infants.”
According to the Texas Department of Family Protective
services, every two days a baby dies in the state, increasing annually since
2013. In Bexar County, there has been a 40 percent increase in SUIDs since 2012,
mostly attributed to bed-sharing and unsafe sleeping home environments.
“Overall, our community has been very receptive to our
interventions and our mission,” Carr said. “Unfortunately, SIDS and SUIDs has
touched too many families in both the medical and Bexar County community. We
frequently hear stories from people who volunteer and champion our message that
have either lost or know someone who has experienced an unexpected loss.
“In addition, we want to thank the Wilford Hall Auxiliary
for their generous support and funding to help provide Halo sleep sacks for
every infant discharged from SAMMC newborn and NICU service. This gift provides
both education and a lasting message to our families well after they go home.”
The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was
created by Cribs for Kids®, a Pittsburgh-based organization dedicated to
preventing infant sleep-related deaths due to accidental suffocation. In
addition to being Cribs for Kids® partners, SAMMC was recognized for following
the safe sleep guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and
providing training programs for parents, staff and the community.
Community outreach includes supporting local fundraisers for
SIDS nonprofit organizations, donations of safe sleeping materials to
underserved families, and a large scale media campaign to bring awareness to
Bexar County and Texas about infant losses.
SAMMC is one of six large medical centers in San Antonio
that comprise the Bexar County SUID Coalition. The coalition includes leaders
and programs from Baptist Health System, Children’s Hospital of San Antonio,
Methodist Children’s Hospital, Southwest General Hospital, and University
Health System.
“The Coalition, along with the Bexar County Child Fatality
Review Team, has been instrumental in providing changes to hospital and clinic
practices, improving public awareness through media campaigns, and fundraising
to improve care and provide safe sleep resources for less fortunate families,”
Carr said.
“Sleep-Related Death, or SRD, results in the loss of more
than 3,500 infants every year in the U.S.,” said Michael H. Goodstein, M.D.,
neonatologist and medical director of research at Cribs for Kids®.
“We know that consistent education can have a profound
effect on infant mortality, and this program is designed to encourage safe
sleep education and to recognize those hospitals that are taking an active role
in reducing these preventable deaths.”
This program is well-aligned with the Maternal Child Health
Bureau’s vision of reducing infant mortality through the promotion of infant
sleep safety as outlined in the Collaborative Improvement and Innovation
Network to Reduce Infant Mortality. Thirty-six states have designated
SIDS/SUID/SRD as their emphasis to reduce infant mortality.
Hospitals can earn one of three National Safe Sleep
Certifications based on their levels of commitment; bronze, silver or gold.
According to Carr, SAMMC would love to attain gold certification. They are
currently meeting all other requirements to attain gold and are striving to provide
the top-level care consistent with all other safe sleep champions at that
level.
The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was
created in partnership with leading infant health and safety organizations such
as All Baby & Child, The National Center for the Review & Prevention of
Child Deaths, Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs, Kids In
Danger, Children’s Safety Network, American SIDS Institute, Charlie’s Kids, CJ
Foundation for SIDS and numerous state American Academy of Pediatric chapters
and health departments.
“The program kicked off in June of 2015 in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, PA. home of the Cribs for Kids® national headquarters,” said
Jonathan Bannon, Cribs for Kids founder and executive director. sSixteen states
and Quebec, Canada, are represented among the 38 certified hospitals which have
achieved the ‘Gold Champion’ status, or are working their way toward it. This
will have a profound effect on the number of babies’ lives that will be saved.”
For more information on the Cribs for Kids® National Safe
Sleep Hospital Certification program, visit
http://www.cribsforkids.org/safesleephospital certification.