ROWLETT, TX (April 15, 2011) - Each year more than 100 babies are abandoned in Texas. Some are left in dumpsters and many die before being discovered. About 16 will be found dead—an unknown number of murdered babies are never found. Fortunately, the Texas Safe Haven Law, passed in 1999 and referred to as the “Baby Moses” law, provides a responsible alternative to parents who might otherwise abandon or harm their child. Under this law, a parent may deliver an unharmed baby 60 days old or younger to personnel at a designated Safe Baby Site (a fire station or hospital) without fear of criminal prosecution. Texas was the first state to pass a Baby Moses Law and now all 50 states have similar laws to protect infants.
In April, Lake Pointe Medical Center will post Safe Baby Site Signs, announcing it as one of the newest hospitals to be designated a Safe Baby Site under the Texas Baby Moses Law. The hospital has received “Safe Baby Site” signs from State Representative Geanie Morrison, original sponsor of the Texas Baby Moses Law. Signs will be posted prominently on outside walls of the hospital facility to notify the public that personnel in this location have been trained to accept an unharmed baby under the Baby Moses Law.
Jackie Cox, RN, Director of Emergency Services at LPMC, contacted Baby Moses Dallas (BMD) in September, 2009 to begin the process of becoming a designated emergency infant care provider under the Texas Baby Moses Law. Patsy Summey, Project Coordinator of Baby Moses Dallas, visited with Jackie Clifton, RN Trauma/ED Clinical Coordinator at Lake Pointe Medical Center. Cox subsequently wrote the hospital’s policy on receiving Baby Moses babies and has used the educational materials from Baby Moses Dallas to train the hospital staff in the process of accepting Baby Moses babies.
“Our ED staff has been educated regarding receipt of and care for an infant that is voluntarily delivered unharmed to our facility by the child’s parent,” explains Cox. “If we can prevent one infant from being abandoned and/or harmed, then our goal of providing a safe environment in our community will have been met.”
Founder and Executive Director of BMD, Alan C. Elliott, explains - “The goals of Baby Moses Dallas are to make the public aware of the law and to help the designated Safe Baby Sites with signage and support. There is no way of knowing how many babies are killed every year in Texas by abandonment. But we do know that a baby was legally surrendered at Methodist Charlton Medical Center via the Baby Moses Law in August 2010. There have been over 100 Baby Moses babies in Texas since the law went into effect in 2001.”
Adds Elliott, “We provide support materials at no charge to fire departments and hospitals. The metal signs for the fire stations and hospitals are provided free-of-charge by Rep. Geanie Morrison, sponsor of the original Baby Moses legislation. We have to raise funds to provide printed materials about the Safe Baby Sites. All donations to Baby Moses Dallas are tax-deductible. Anyone wishing to support this project is encouraged to visit the Baby Moses Dallas website at www.babymosesdallas.org or send a tax-deductible contribution to Baby Moses Dallas, P. O. Box 1169, Cedar Hill, TX 75106.”
Lake Pointe Medical Center joins a growing list of Texas hospitals and fire departments that have received their Safe Baby Site designation.
ABOUT LAKE POINTE MEDICAL CENTER
Lake Pointe Medical Center is a 112-bed acute care hospital located at 6800 Scenic Drive in Rowlett. Lake Pointe Medical Center has been serving the residents of Rockwall, Rowlett, Royse City and the surrounding communities since 1987. The hospital provides a wide spectrum of medical services, including an emergency department with Fast Track services, a 14-bed intensive care unit, women’s services, a Level II and Level III NICU, interventional cardiology, diagnostic imaging, and eight operating rooms. With a medical staff of over 400 physicians, Lake Pointe Medical Center provides most specialty services. The hospital holds CIGNA Center of Excellence Designations for Laparoscopic Gall Bladder Removal and Vaginal Delivery. The hospital is designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and a Level IV Trauma Center by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency, licensed by the state of Texas and certified for participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. To learn more about Lake Pointe Medical Center, visit www.lakepointemedical.com.
ABOUT BABY MOSES DALLAS
Baby Moses Dallas, Inc., is a 501©(3) non-profit, all-volunteer organization formed in 2004 to educate Dallas County and adjoining counties about the Baby Moses Law.
More information about Baby Moses Dallas is available at www.babymosesdallas.org Scroll to the bottom of the home page and click on “for more information, click here.” This will open a recent Baby Moses Dallas Progress Report. For other questions about BMD, call Patsy Summey at 972-291-6433 or email summeypatsy@yahoo.com