Sen. London Lamar from Memphis and Rep. Caleb Hemmer from Nashville recently visited Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women and the Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital for an important discussion with hospital leaders on the social determinants of health that affect patients daily.
“We discussed how such factors as transportation, food access, childcare, prenatal care and community resources play a critical role in overall health and healing,” said Allison Chase, CEO and administrator of Baptist Women’s Hospital and Baptist Children’s Hospital. “We are proud to share the quality work our teams are doing to address these challenges and provide patient-centered care that goes beyond the walls of our hospital.”
Lamar and Hemmer visited nurse leaders in Labor and Delivery, the Newborn Intensive Care unit (NICU) and Mother Baby to learn about the challenges faced in these areas. The group discussed maternal morbidity rates in Shelby County and the need for healthy lifestyle education and early intervention with prenatal care.
Dr. Jacques Samson, a physician with Baptist Medical Group-Maternal Fetal Medicine, noted, “One of the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality in this region is hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. Access to home blood pressure monitoring is a simple and cost-effective way to help with early detection and a way to reduce adverse outcomes.”
“The quality outcomes of our high-risk deliveries are the result of extraordinary collaboration among our OB-GYNs, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, neonatologists and dedicated care teams,” said Dr. Jennifer Snow, chief medical officer of Baptist Children’s Hospital and system director of Pediatrics. “The leadership, advocacy and support Sen. Lamar and Rep. Hemmer provide will guide us toward building healthier communities.”
