Rowlett, Texas – July 23, 2008 - Texas hospitals across the state screen newborns for hearing loss as part of a statewide public health initiative that is preventing many infants from suffering developmental delays associated with undetected hearing loss. Lake Pointe Medical Center has been recognized by the State of Texas as one of the best in the state for screening newborn babies for hearing loss.
“Lake Pointe Medical Center earned top marks with its recent certification as a ‘Distinguished Newborn Hearing Screening Program,’ the highest rating possible by the THA for a birthing hospital in Texas,” said Carolyn Jackson, CEO of Lake Pointe health Network.
The goal of the program is to ensure that newborns with hearing loss quickly get into services to develop their speech, language and learning. “We’re proud to offer this service to the families in our community,” said Jackson.
Lake Pointe Medical Center earned this recognition by ensuring families and their newborns receive top-quality services during their hospital birth admission. The Texas Department of State Health Services monitors hospital-based hearing screening programs to ensure specific quality benchmarks are met. To be certified, hospitals must screen newborns for hearing loss, refer those who need follow-up testing to audiologists, and inform parents and family doctors of hearing screening results. Certified hospitals have demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that those babies born with hearing loss are detected early and channeled to resources to get medical and educational attention.
At Lake Pointe, a hearing screen is provided to each and every newborn in both the Level I and Level II Nurseries. Victoria Burch, Hearing Screener at Lake Pointe employed by NICS (Neonatal Intensive Care Specialists), provides all newborns in the Level I with an OAE – Oto-Acoustic Emissions hearing screen and all newborns in the Level II with an ABR – Auditory Brain Response hearing screen. Dr. Gloria Moody, neonatologist at Lake Pointe Medical Center, explains “Victoria is exceptional at what she does. She is dedicated to making sure that each newborn receives the appropriate screen, and that if follow-up is warranted, she makes the necessary arrangements for the family and patient to meet with a local audiologist. This recognition is a direct result of Victoria’s dedication to her patients and Lake Pointe Medical Center.” Dr. Gloria Moody is a neonatologist with NICS, Neonatal Intensive Care Specialists, providing 24/7 neonatology coverage at Lake Pointe Medical Center.
The Texas newborn hearing screening program is one of the largest of its kind in the country. Nearly 400,000 babies in Texas are screened annually because of this program.
Two babies with hearing loss are born each day in Texas.
ABOUT LAKE POINTE MEDICAL CENTER
Lake Pointe Medical Center, a part of Tenet Healthcare Corporation, 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 Neonatal Nursery, diagnostic imaging, eight operating rooms and telemetry. Lake Pointe Medical Center also provides a number of specialty services, including cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, oncology, infectious disease, general surgery, spine surgery, thoracic surgery, ear nose and throat, pulmonary medicine, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and neonatal services. Lake Pointe also offers wound care, sleep medicine, physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as pulmonary rehabilitation. The Lake Pointe Imaging Center in Rockwall provides extended imaging services to the community. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 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.