Published on June 16, 2011

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital NICU Receives Award for Quality Care

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Is the Only Hospital in Maryland to Earn Gold Medal

Rockville, MD – Shady Grove Adventist Hospital is the only hospital in Maryland to earn the Gold Medal award for quality care provided to critically ill newborns from the Maryland Patient Safety Center (MPSC) Neonatal Collaborative.

“We are pleased to receive this award that recognizes the commitment of the NICU team at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital to ensure the safest care for critically ill newborns,” said Dennis Hansen, President of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.

Twenty-six hospitals in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia participate in the Neonatal Collaborative, which strives to

• Decrease neonatal mortality, chronic lung disease and length of stay through standardized resuscitation and stabilization of the neonate in the first hour of life, known as the Golden Hour;
• Reduce hospital-acquired infections (HAI) through the implementation of evidence-based care practices;
• Improve teamwork and communication through the implementation of team behaviors, including the family, into neonatal care.

To earn the Gold Medal award, a hospital’s neonatal team must earn at least 90 percent of the 500 total points possible based on timely data entry related to the Neonatal Collaborative’s three goals, attendance at face-to-face sessions and participation in both quarterly team update calls and quarterly network sharing/learning calls.  Shady Grove Adventist Hospital was the only Gold Medal winner in 2011.

“As care givers to critically ill newborns, we appreciate this important recognition from the state,” said Jim Rost, M.D., the Medical Director of Shady Grove’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Chair of the Neonatal Collaborative.  “Shady Grove Adventist Hospital engenders proactive behaviors to advance the delivery of safe care and we look forward to continuing our work with area hospitals as part of the collaborative to ensure best practices for our littlest and most vulnerable patients.”

Physicians and nurses in Shady Grove Adventist Hospital’s NICU created three teams to address each of the Neonatal Collaborative’s three goals.

“Our teams run regular drills, utilizing evidence-based best practices in caring for some of the most critically ill newborns,” explained Kathy Dallas, the Director of Children’s Services at Shady Grove Adventist.   “We also work to closely connect families with the care teams through ongoing communication and regular meetings.”

Since its inception in 2007, “the Neonatal Collaborative has positively affected the care of 30,000 newborns in Maryland.  By ensuring that evidenced-based, standardized interventions are utilized for each and every critically ill newborn, we have seen significant improvements in important outcome measures,” said Dr. Rost.  As a result, fewer babies are being admitted to the NICU, which means more mothers are going home with their babies after delivery.

The Neonatal Collaborative is funded by a grant from CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital offers a full spectrum of specialized health-care services for women and children.  The hospital’s 38-bed NICU is rated Level III-B, one of the highest designations attainable, and is staffed around the clock with board certified neonatologists and neonatal nurses who are trained to handle the most complex and high-risk situations for newborn babies.  The Birth Center at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital features all-private rooms with state-of-the-art equipment in a home-like atmosphere.  Shady Grove is also home to Montgomery County’s only 24-hour pediatric Emergency Department, the county’s first pediatric intensive care unit and a same-day pediatric surgery unit.

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital is a not-for-profit, acute care facility in Rockville, Maryland, with 336 licensed beds. Shady Grove is committed to delivering excellent health care through a ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing.  The hospital offers a broad range of health services and is recognized for excellence in emergency care; high-risk obstetrical and neonatal care; cardiac and vascular interventional care; oncology care; several surgical specialties; and a number of specialized services for children. The Shady Grove Adventist Emergency Center in Germantown provides emergency medical care to more than 35,000 residents each year. Shady Grove Adventist Hospital is part of Maryland-based Adventist HealthCare, an integrated health-care delivery system that is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland.