CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin is one of ten hospitals to be accepted into the Immunization Action Coalition’s (IAC) Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll this year.
The Honor Roll now includes 262 birthing institutions across the nation and in Puerto Rico that are recognized for attaining high coverage rates for administering hepatitis B vaccine at birth and meeting specific additional criteria. CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin has a reported hepatitis B birth dose coverage rate at 97%.
“We want every child to leave our nursery with the protection they need against Hepatitis B,” said Henderson Women’s and Children’s Center Director Misti Lowe, RNC-OB, BSN. “We are proud to be recognized along with an elite group of birthing institutions for protecting America’s smallest citizens.”
An infant can acquire the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) from an infected mother (transmitted at birth) or a chronically infected member of his/her household.
The Honor Roll is a key part of IAC’s major initiative urging the nation’s hospitals to “Give birth to the end of Hep B.” To be included, a birthing institution must have
· reported a coverage rate of 90 percent or greater, over a 12-month period, for administering hepatitis B vaccine before hospital discharge to all newborns, including those whose parents refuse vaccination, and
· implemented specific written policies, procedures, and protocols to protect all newborns from hepatitis B virus infection prior to hospital discharge.
Cutline: Pictured from left to right are nurses in the Henderson Women’s and Children’s Center at CHI St. Luke’s Health – Memorial; Toni Fleming, RN,BSN; Amber Murphy, MSN, RNC-OB; Misti Lowe, RNC-OB, BSN; and Yvette Compean, RN, BSN
About CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial
Memorial provides more than a quarter of a million patient services each year and has a longstanding history of providing quality, innovative health care in East Texas.
With hospitals in Lufkin, Livingston, San Augustine and Memorial Specialty – the area’s only long-term acute care hospital – CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial provides millions of dollars in charity care and community support each year. Our mission is to nurture the healing ministry of the Church, supported by education and research. Fidelity to the Gospel urges us to emphasize human dignity and social justice as we create healthier communities.
Memorial offers a wide array of services, including the area’s first dedicated heart and stroke care facility and radiation oncology at the Temple Cancer Center. It is also known for the area’s only comprehensive diabetes, heart and stroke education center. Other specialty areas include imaging, orthopedic care, women’s services, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, homecare, wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, kidney & diabetes treatment, sleep disorders treatment and express lab.
Memorial Clinics, a division of the health system, employs more than 30 providers in 17 locations across East Texas. Specialties include Family Practice, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Cardiology, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Internal Medicine, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Allergy/Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose & Throat), and Chiropractic Care.
About CHI St. Luke’s Health
CHI St. Luke’s Health, a member of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), is comprised of three markets?CHI St. Luke’s Health is home of the Texas Heart Institute (THI), eight hospitals, eight emergency centers, Diagnostic & Treatment Center, Radiation & CyberKnife Center, and several St. Luke’s Medical Group locations throughout Greater Houston; CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial (three hospitals and a long-term acute care facility in East Texas); and CHI St. Joseph Health (five hospitals and several St. Joseph Medical Group locations across Brazos Valley). In addition, CHI St. Luke’s is a part of a joint venture agreement with Baylor College of Medicine, which encompasses Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Texas Medical Center. Together, CHI St. Luke’s Health, THI, and Baylor College of Medicine are transforming healthcare delivery with a mission to usher in a new era of healthcare to create healthier communities. For more information, visit CHIStLukesHealth.org.