Saint Joseph London Honored for Efforts to Vaccinate Newborns and Protect Against Hepatitis B - Archived

Saint Joseph London Honored for Efforts to Vaccinate Newborns and Protect Against Hepatitis B

London, Ky. (August 27, 2014)— Saint Joseph London, part of KentuckyOne Health, has been recognized by the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) and Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Immunization Program for achieving one of the highest reported rates in the state for its work to protect newborns from hepatitis B virus infection.

“This recognition reflects level of care our hospital strives to provide,” said Greg Gerard, president, Saint Joseph London. “From our physicians, nurses and staff who interact with the lives of those we serve, our goal is to provide exceptional care to our patients. This award demonstrates that goal in our newborn services.”

Saint Joseph London is the newest entry into IAC’s Birth Dose Honor Roll (www.immunize.org/honor-roll/birthdose), which recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that have attained high coverage levels for administering the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Saint Joseph London immunized coverage rate of 99% from 7/1/2013 to 6/30/2014 and took additional steps to prevent perinatal transmission of hepatitis B.

The national standard of care to prevent hepatitis B virus infection in babies is to administer hepatitis B vaccine to all newborns before they leave the hospital or birthing center. This standard is being adopted by centers of healthcare excellence nationwide as a safety net to protect newborns from a wide range of medical errors that lead to babies being unprotected from perinatal hepatitis B infection.

“Hospitals and birthing centers have a responsibility to protect babies from life-threatening hepatitis B infection,” said Deborah Wexler, MD, executive director and founder of IAC. “Saint Joseph London’s commitment to the best practice of hepatitis B vaccination at birth has shown them to be a leader in preventing the transmission of the hepatitis B virus.”

Saint Joseph London’s maternity ward features spacious, all private rooms, each equipped with a Jacuzzi as well as central fetal heart monitoring systems, ambulatory fetal heart monitoring systems and the ability for C/Sections to be performed within the birthing center unit. Saint Joseph London also offers a full-time lactation consultant. For more information, visit http://www.chisaintjosephhealth.org/saint-joseph-london/services/mother-baby-care.

About KentuckyOne Health
KentuckyOne Health was formed when two major Kentucky health care organizations came together in early 2012. KentuckyOne Health combines the Jewish and Catholic heritages of the two former systems – Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System. In late 2012, the organization formed a partnership with the University of Louisville Hospital | James Graham Brown Cancer Center.  The nonprofit system is committed to improving the health of Kentuckians by integrating medical research, education, technology and health care services wherever patients receive care. KentuckyOne Health has more than 200 locations including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies across the state of Kentucky and southern Indiana.

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