Littauer Birthing Center again recognized for higher quality in maternity care Posted on February 8, 2018 by Dakota PikeHealthy moms and babies at Nathan Littauer Hospital with Littauer Lactation Consultant Nancy Quinlan, RN, IBCLC, at centerGLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK (January 2018) – Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has once again recognized the Nathan Littauer Hospital Birthing Center with a Blue Distinction® Center for Maternity Care designation as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated hospitals that show expertise in delivering improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community. Nearly four million babies are born in the U.S. annually, making childbirth the most common cause of hospitalization, and cesarean sections the most common operating room procedures, according to National Centers for Health Statistics and the Agency for Health care Research & Quality (AHRQ). Reducing early elective delivery is an area of focus for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)According to Health Affairs, elective inductions result in more cesarean deliveries and a longer maternal hospitalization. The Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program evaluates hospitals on quality measures for vaginal and cesarean delivery.Littauer is proud to be recognized by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield for meeting the rigorous Blue Distinction Center quality selection criteria for maternity care set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.“I am so proud of our team,” said Maureen Mosher, Littauer Manager of Maternal Child Health. “Last year, we were one of the first hospitals designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care. It is a distinction we achieve through our heartfelt dedication to our patients and community.”Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies across the nation have recognized more than 1,000 hospitals as Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care. Hospitals recognized with this designation are assessed using a combination of quality information supplied by hospitals and cost measures derived from BCBS companies’ medical claims.Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality specialty care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, maternity care, knee and hip replacements, spine surgery and transplants, while encouraging health care professionals to improve the care they deliver. Research shows that, compared to other hospitals, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients.For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated facilities, please visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.
Sen. Schumer visits Littauer and learns about The Baby Box Posted on October 18, 2017 by Dakota PikeSen. Schumer visits Littauer and learns about The Baby BoxHere’s what our media partner The Leader Herald had to share:Sen. Charles E. Schumer visits Littauer’s Birthing Center and speaks to Darcie Knapp, LPN at Littauer and expecting motherBaby Box program at Nathan Littauer continues to be popular with parentsSen. Charles Schumer talks with new parents, Jessica and Derek Hermann and baby Amelia, as he learns about the Nathan Littauer Baby Box program. Amelia was born Oct. 4. (Littauer photo)GLOVERSVILLE — Oct. 17, 2017 – Nathan Littauer Hospital’s Baby Box program is still going strong, with new parents taking home a bundle of baby products and a safe space for their new arrival to rest.The hospital began the program earlier this year and has seen new parents take home a box containing diapers, coupons, a sleep sack, booties, bibs and books among the many items tucked inside. The boxes also double as a bed for babies up to eight months.Baby boxes have been given out in Finland to all new parents since the late 1930s.To get their baby box at NLH, parents-to-be watch a short series of videos made by the medical specialists at Nathan Littauer that cover a range of topics including breastfeeding, tobacco and alcohol use and safe sleep. They can watch the videos on their own computers or use tablets that were given to NLH by The Baby Box Co.Littauer is believed to be the first hospital in New York state to send new parents home with a baby box. The hospital worked with The Baby Box Company of Los Angeles, which does both direct-to-consumer sales and wholesaling of the baby boxes. The educational component is offered through The Baby Box University.Parents then take a one question yes/no quiz relating to the videos they watched.Maureen Mosher, RN and Manager of Maternal Child Health at the hospital said the boxes have proven very successful, with parents being very excited to take the items home.She said community support for the program has been strong as well, including fundraisers to help the program.Fundraisers included Gloversville High School student Kristen Farley, who raised $1,250 for the program.Darcie Knapp of Northville who is expecting her third child later this week said she was thrilled to be getting one of the boxes.Knapp, who works at Littauer at a Licensed Practical Nurse in the operating room, said that one of the biggest challenges she found with her other two children was finding somewhere they would sleep. She said she tried a variety of different item, some of which he was find with, other he refused to drift off in.In addition, Knapp said having one of these boxes means less items taking up space in the house. She said with new babies parents often have to buy a crib, bassinet, pack-n-play, swing and bounce seat. She said having the baby box will mean she can cut down on the amount of items being bought.She said with a toddler at home, having something she can set the new baby in as she moves from room to room with her son will be helpful.“This stuff can take up so much room. But with this, you can bring it with you from room to room,” Knapp said.Knapp was on hand Friday to meet with Sen. Charles E. Schumer. Schumer was visiting the hospital for a press conference on two recently expired health care initiatives. During his visit however, Schumer wanted to see the program.During his visit, Schumer got to see the box in action thanks to nine-day-old Amelia Hermann.Hermann, and her parents Jessica and Derek, were on hand to meet the SenatorHerman turned out to be an excellent model for the box, sleeping through his visit and large amount media present in the small room being used for the baby box distribution.Kerry Minor can be reached at kminor@leaderherald.com.
Littauer joins with The Baby Box Co. bringing a safe sleeping environment to all NLH Birthing Center newborns Posted on February 23, 2017 by Dakota Pike2. The Baby Box Co. and Littauer collaborate to bring Baby Boxes to the Littauer community. Shown here is the first baby to receive the giftGLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK (February 15, 2017) – Nathan Littauer Hospital and The Baby Box Co. announced the launch of the Universal Safe Sleep program at Nathan Littauer Hospital.“This program is a critical first step in reducing infant mortality,” stated Cheryl McGrattan, Vice President of Community Relations for the hospital. The new program is free to the new parents of the expected 340 newborns welcomed into the world at Nathan Littauer’s Birthing Center over the course of a year. Ms. McGrattan added, “According to our research, we are the first hospital in New York State to provide Baby Boxes to every family throughout the year.”This program is focused on reducing the infant mortality rate in the U.S. which hovered around 6.5 percent in 2015 which is worse than all EU countries, Japan, South Korea, Australia and even Cuba. The innovative new program combines the Baby Box University information platform for new parents along with the proven safety of the Baby Box. Empowering parents and families with essential information for them to properly care for newborns is the heart of this new initiative.Nathan Littauer’s Baby Box program is accessible to all expecting and new parents regardless of socioeconomic status. The Baby Boxes are available upon discharge from The Birthing Center.The use of Baby Boxes has been associated with helping Finland achieve one of the world’s lowest infant mortality rates. The Finnish initiative, which enables every expecting woman in the country to claim a free Baby Box once she receives prenatal care and parenting information from a healthcare professional, is credited with helping to decrease Finland’s infant mortality rate from 65 deaths for each 1,000 children born in 1938 to 2.26 deaths per 1,000 births in 2015.“What makes this program so unique is the focus on education” explained Maureen Mosher, RN, NLH Manager of Maternal Child Health, adding, “Every mother must watch a video syllabus in the prenatal stage to secure the box”. The multi-media parenting curricula called Baby Box University has video featuring local experts. The families will begin reviewing the syllabus in the prenatal stage. Upon completion, they are given a certificate which can be used to secure the free Baby Box.3. An example of the Baby Box contents new babies will receive after being born at Nathan Littauer’s Birthing CenterThe Adirondack Rural Health Network (ARHN), a program of Adirondack Health Institute, partially funded the Nathan Littauer Hospital’s Baby Box project, one of seven ARHN Prevention Agenda Projects, with support from the New York State Department of Health Charles D. Cook Office of Rural Health. “Providing families with a means to keep their newborn safe and secure is such a privilege,” said Margaret M. Vosburgh, CEO, Adirondack Health Institute. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support our partners at Nathan Littauer Hospital in this important work.”The Baby Boxes themselves, which are made from durable cardboard and come with a firm mattress, waterproof mattress cover and fitted cotton sheet, are traditionally used in Finland as a baby’s bed for up to the first eight months of life.Participants in the safe sleep program receive a Baby Box that contains the following items at Littauer:MattressWaterproof mattress protectorFitted sheetSafe sleep sackPampers baby wipesPampers Swaddlers diapersLansinoh breast pads and nipple creamVroom baby brain boosting activity cardsOnesieBoard bookThermometerInfant Mortality Rate Stats:Approximately 3,500 infants die annually in the United States from sleep-related deaths, including sudden unexpected infant death (SUID); ill-defined deaths; and accidental suffocation and strangulation.The number of infant deaths initially decreased in the 1990s after a national safe sleep campaign but has plateaued in recent years.The Baby Box Co. is Rooted from a Finnish Tradition:The use of Baby Boxes has been credited with helping Finland achieve one of the world’s lowest infant mortality rates. The initiative, which enables every expecting woman in the country to claim a free Baby Box once she receives prenatal care and parenting information from a healthcare professional, is credited with helping to decrease Finland’s infant mortality rate from 65 deaths for each 1,000 children born in 1938 to 3 deaths per 1,000 births in 2013, according to the World Health Organization.The success of the Finnish Baby Box intervention inspired the founders of The Baby Box Co. to adapt this tradition with enhanced multimedia parenting curricula through Baby Box University to the benefit of nonprofits, hospitals, government institutions and individual families worldwide.The Baby Box University program’s exponential growth has solidified the model as an impactful safe sleep and parenting education intervention for millennials.About The Baby Box Co.Entrepreneurs Michelle Vick and Jennifer Clary founded The Baby Box Co. to offer a safe sleep environment to babies everywhere. Through its Baby Box University platform, Baby Box Co. is an innovative, integrated program to support parents and improve maternal and infant healthcare outcomes globally. The Baby Box Co. partners with hospitals, government agencies and non-profit organizations to provide Baby Boxes, quality products, resources and ongoing education to families on a large scale. Baby Boxes are also available direct to consumer either as a standalone item or filled with new baby essentials. Serving families in 52 countries, The Baby Box Co. has offices in USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Singapore. For more information or to purchase a Baby Box, please visit www.babyboxco.com The Baby Box University education resource is at www.babyboxuniversity.comAbout Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing HomeNathan Littauer Hospital and Family of Health Services serves Fulton, Montgomery, and Hamilton counties in upstate New York with a full-service, 74-bed acute care hospital, nine primary care centers, a nursing home and a community education center. The hospital was founded in 1894 and has 1,000 employees. Littauer’s medical staff provides well over 100,000 patient encounters each year. For more information, please visit www.nlh.org.1. The Hart family with the first baby to receive a Baby Box from Littauer
Nathan Littauer Hospital Designated Blue Distinction® Center for Maternity Care Posted on March 17, 2016 by Dakota Pike GLOVERSVILLE – In an effort to help prospective parents find hospitals that deliver quality maternity care, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield announced that Nathan Littauer Hospital has been designated as one of the first hospitals to receive the Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care designation, a new designation under the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.Nearly four million babies are born in the U.S. annually, making childbirth the most common cause of hospitalization. This new Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program evaluates hospitals on several quality measures, including the percentage of newborns that fall into the category of early elective delivery, an ongoing concern in the medical community. Compared with babies born 39 weeks or later, early term infants face higher risks of infant death and respiratory ailments such as respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and respiratory failure, among other conditions. These babies also have a higher rate of admission to Neonatal Intensive Care Units.In addition, hospitals that receive a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care designation agreed to meet requirements that align with principles that support evidence-based practices of care, as well as having initiated programs to promote successful breastfeeding, as described in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative by Baby-Friendly USA or the Mother-Friendly Hospital program by the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) through its “Ten Steps of Mother-Friendly Care.” The program also evaluates hospitals on overall patient satisfaction, including a willingness to recommend the hospital to others.Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care, an expansion of the national Blue Distinction® Specialty Care program, are hospitals recognized for delivering quality specialty care safely and effectively, based on objective measures developed with input from the medical community.“I am so proud of our team,” said Maureen Mosher, Littauer Manager of Maternal Child Health. “Being one of the first hospitals designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care is a distinction we have achieved through our heartfelt dedication to our patients and community.”Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies across the nation have recognized more than 280 hospitals as Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care. Hospitals recognized for these designations were assessed using a combination of publicly available quality information and cost measures derived from BCBS companies’ medical claims.Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality providers for their specialty care needs in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacements, spine surgery and transplants. Research shows that compared to other facilities, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients.For more information about the program, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.XXX Nathan Littauer Hospital and Family of Health Services serves Fulton, Montgomery, and Hamilton counties in upstate New York with a full-service, 74-bed acute care hospital, nine primary care centers, a nursing home and a community education center. The hospital was founded in 1894 and has 1,000 employees. Nathan Littauer continues to offer the latest in diagnostic imaging, including a new MRI suite. Littauer’s medical staff provides well over 100,000 patient encounters each year. For more information, please visit www.nlh.org.Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is part of a family of companies that finances and delivers vital health care services to about 1.5 million people across upstate New York. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield provides access to high-quality, affordable health coverage, including valuable health-related resources that our members use every day, such as cost-saving prescription drug discounts and wellness tracking tools. To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com.The Birthing Center at Nathan Littauer Hospital has been designated as one of the first hospitals to receive the Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care designation
