Western Baptist receives March of Dimes grant

Western Baptist Hospital recently received a $5,000 grant from the March of Dimes “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait” initiative for community education about premature births.

Western Baptist lactation consultant Debbie Cornwell said the hospital will use the grant to continue ongoing education about prematurity, which is the leading cause of newborn death.

“Western Baptist has partnered with March of Dimes to raise awareness of premature births, and that some preterm births can be prevented,” Cornwell said. “We want to educate women about good health, warning signs of preterm labor and what to do if warning signs occur.”

Western Baptist has partnered with “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait” since the initiative began in Kentucky in January 2007.

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait® began in Kentucky in 2007 as a partnership among the March of Dimes, Johnson & Johnson and the Kentucky Department for Public Health with the goal of decreasing preterm births in selected areas by 15 percent. It incorporates strategies such as smoking cessation, early prenatal care and avoiding unnecessary deliveries before 39 weeks of pregnancy. The successful program now is being adapted for use in New Jersey and Texas.

Western Baptist Hospital of Paducah is a regional medical and referral center, serving about 200,000 patients a year from four states. With more than 1,700 employees and 240 physicians, it offers a full range of services, including cardiac and cancer care, diagnostic imaging, women’s and children’s services, surgery, emergency treatment, rehabilitation and more. It is part of Baptist Healthcare System, one of the largest not-for-profit healthcare systems in Kentucky. For information, see westernbaptist.com.