Hospital also designated as Level IV Maternal Care Center, state’s highest designation for comprehensive maternal and neonatal care.
It’s big news that will help the tiniest of patients: Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) has earned designation as a Level IV Neonatal Facility from the Texas Department of State Health Services for offering the highest level of care for newborns.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for our ability to care for some of the tiniest newborns,” said Kayla Carey, RN, BSN, NE-BC, NICU nurse manager at BUMC. “We remain focused on advancing care for patients with specialty-trained staff, availability of services, advanced equipment and protocols and family-centered care.”
BUMC was awarded the designation after an extensive survey of the robust multidisciplinary team, medical staff and facilities that provide perinatal services for neonatal patients and families.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team at BUMC cares for a variety of neonates, from newborns to micro-preemies. These patients may be at heightened risk for complications such as brain bleeds, improper eye development, developmental delays and chronic lung disease that can impact their health, quality of life and even survival over both short and long terms.
“The care these special patients receive in the first seconds, minutes, hours and weeks after being born is absolutely critical to having a good outcome and minimizing lasting impacts,” explained Carey.
In 2020, BUMC became the first hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth to be designated a Level IV Maternal Care Center, an acknowledgment that the facility offers the highest level of care available for comprehensive maternal and neonatal care. The designation is awarded to hospitals that provide comprehensive care for even the most complex medical, surgical and obstetrical conditions for pregnant and postpartum patients with a family-centered philosophy to meet the needs of mothers, infants and families.
The pair of designations, Level IV Neonatal Facility and Level IV Maternal Care Center, illustrates the commitment of the BUMC Women and Children’s Services program to providing care for growing families. That is also one of the reasons BUMC was recently voted “Best Place to Have
a Baby” by DFWChild magazine readers.
“Whether it’s an uncomplicated delivery at 40 weeks or a preterm delivery marked with unexpected complexities, our goal is the same: provide moms, infants and families the best possible outcome and experience,” said Kristine DeButy, MSN, RN, RNC-OB, NE-BC, director of nursing for Women and Children’s Services at BUMC.
For information on how you can help advance services and care for women and children, contact Melissa Dalton at Melissa.Dalton@BSWHealth.org or 214.820.2705.
