LeConte Medical Center Named a 2019 BEST for Tennessee Babies Hospital

baby awardLeConte Medical Center is awarded among 18 Tennessee birthing hospitals with the BEST for Babies Award by the Tennessee Department of Health and the Tennessee Hospital Association.

Hospitals receive this recognition for their efforts to reduce infant deaths in Tennessee. The BEST award stands for breastfeeding, early elective delivery reduction and safe sleep for Tennessee babies.

“LeConte Medical Center is proud to provide the best care to the hundreds of babies from our community we help deliver annually. Our entire team is committed to helping these babies have the best start to their life,” said Gaye Jolly, president and chief administrative officer of LeConte Medical Center. LeConte helped deliver more than 1,000 babies in 2019.

Four Covenant Health hospitals have earned 2019 “BEST for Babies” including Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville, LeConte Medical Center in Sevierville and Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge. The Covenant Health member organizations are the only Knoxville-area hospitals to receive the BEST for Babies award this year.

Hospitals must meet the following criteria to receive the BEST Award:

  • Breastfeeding – Earn baby-friendly designation, have an increase of five percent in breastfeeding initiation rate from 2017 to 2018 or have a breastfeeding initiation rate of 82 percent or higher.
  • Early Elective Delivery – Have an early elective delivery rate of five percent or less for 2018.
  • Safe Sleep – Have Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification at a minimum of bronze level or a safe sleep policy meeting current American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. In addition, hospitals must submit documentation of crib audits averaging a minimum of 90 percent safe cribs.

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