New Facilities
The Children's Hospital at TriStar Centennial officially celebrated the opening of its new pediatric emergency room last month. Full-time, pediatric emergency medicine physicians staff the 6,000-square-foot facility, which houses seven beds and cutting-edge equipment designed for pediatric patients. The new ER opened its doors to patients on July 24.
The Birthing Center at Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital is scheduled to open September 2017. Saint Thomas officials said the Birthing Center is unique because it pairs a natural birthing experience and holistic, highly specialized maternity care in a home-like environment but with immediate access to a hospital with a full range of healthcare services.
"Historically, many birthing centers have been freestanding facilities that are physically separate from a hospital," said Kristen Toth, vice president of Women's and Children's Services, Saint Thomas Health. "We believe having the Birthing Center inside the hospital is the best way to surround mom and baby with the safest environment while delivering the holistic, natural and personalized birthing experience so many families want, bringing together the best aspects of both."
Expectant families can soften the lights, play their own music and move freely about the private, home-like suites. The Birthing Center also offers labor tubs, birthing balls, squatting bars, in-room refrigerators, large flat screen televisions, labor stools, individualized nursing care, nitrous oxide for pain relief, and lactation support.
UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Medical Grants
Tennessee families in need of financial assistance for child medical costs have the option to apply for a UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation (UHCCF) grant. In Tennessee, UHCCF has awarded more than 280 grants since 2013 and is encouraging more Tennessee families to apply this year.
Qualifying families can receive up to $5,000 per grant with a lifetime maximum of $10,000 per child, to help pay for their child's healthcare treatments, services or equipment not covered, or not fully covered, by their commercial health insurance plan.
To be eligible for a grant, a child must be 16 years of age or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States and have a commercial health insurance plan. Grants are available for medical expenses families have incurred 60 days prior to the date of application as well as for ongoing and future medical needs. Families do not need to have insurance through UnitedHealthcare to be eligible.
Please direct families that might benefit from a medical grant to www.UHCCF.org. Note, only parents or legal guardians are eligible to apply on behalf of a child.
Monroe Carell Earns Top Honors from U.S. News & World Report
For the tenth consecutive year, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt has been named among the nation's leaders in pediatric healthcare by U.S. News & World Report in their annual Best Children's Hospital rankings.
Eighty-one of the 187 surveyed hospitals were ranked among the top 50 in at least one specialty. Monroe Carell was nationally ranked in a maximum of 10 out 10 pediatric specialty programs.
Monroe Carell's Division of Urology, which has consistently been a top 10 elite pediatric specialty program, came in at No. 7 in the 2017/2018 rankings. Neonatology jumped from 26th in the nation to No. 9. Cancer moved up from 18th to 16th; Orthopaedics went from 14th to 13th; Pulmonology improved from 17th to 13th; Diabetes & Endocrinology moved from 31st to 24th; and Gastroenterology and GI Surgery went from 22nd to 21st. Other specialties ranked this year: Neurology & Neurosurgery (26), Cardiology & Heart Surgery (23), and Nephrology (31).
Tennessee Debuts Safe Stars
First State to Set Up Safety Ratings for Youth Sports Leagues
A new rating system called Safe Stars was launched July 13 and will give parents the ability to check and see if youth sports leagues in Tennessee follow state-recommended safety protocols.
A collaboration between the Tennessee Department of Health and the Program for Injury Prevention in Youth Sports (PIPYS) at Vanderbilt, Safe Stars is the nation's first statewide safety rating system for all types of youth leagues.
Youth sports leagues, such as those for soccer, will now be able to earn safety ratings in Tennessee.
"Tennessee will be the first state to ever have a program like this," said Alex Diamond, DO, MPH, director of PIPYS and assistant professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt. "This has never been done for community or youth leagues on a statewide fashion."
Participation by sports leagues is voluntary. The program awards bronze, silver and gold star safety ratings. The bronze designation covers the most important safety protocols: emergency action plan, background checks on all coaches, constant presence of a CPR/AED certified coach, severe weather policy, anaphylaxis emergency plan and coaches being trained to recognize and manage concussion and sudden cardiac arrest incidents. Leagues that meet two more safety protocols get a silver rating. Those that achieve four more are awarded a gold rating.
The state has launched a website with information and links on how coaches can achieve a Safe Stars designation.
