The Record Special Sections Health Quarterly 07-26-2020 | Page 12

12 | SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2020 | THE RECORD HEALTH QUARTERLY / ADVERTISING SECTION Live Streaming Lets Parents View Infants In Level II Special Care Nursery at Clara Maass Given the COVID-19 pandemic, Clara Maass Medical Center is taking extra precautions to ensure that babies — especially those born prematurely have a safe and healthy start. For example, many safeguards are now in place to adjust to a post-pandemic environment such as daily screening and temperature assessments of all patients, visitors, physicians and employees, as well as requiring masks or face coverings from all. And, for newborns that are unable to room-in with the parent due to circumstances such as COVID-19, they are placed safe and sound in a separate isolation nursery on the Labor and Delivery Unit. But what happens when the new baby requires an extended stay in the hospital, and the mother is discharged before her newborn can be? Or a partner that must travel for work, or is deployed to military duty halfway across the world? What about other family members who are local, but may be under quarantine and can’t wait to see the new arrival? Knowing that expectant parents long for the moment when they can hold and speak to their newborn child, the Special Care Nursery at Clara Maass Medical Center has a solution. With new technology called the AngelEye camera system, family members can connect via an app to livestreamed video of the newborn, 24/7/365, reports Morris Cohen, MD, director of Neonatology at the Medical Center. Loved ones can see a full-frame view of the baby at his or her station, right on their smartphones or mobile devices. “This technology is a very significant addition,” said Dr. Cohen. “Any time a baby is sick and admitted to a special care or a neonatal intensive care unit, it’s a very unexpected experience for the family, and one that can last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, sometimes longer. There can be a real feeling of separation for parents when they can’t be there.” The ability to view the baby helps RWJ BARNABAS HEALTH Dr. Morris Cohen is the director of Neonatology at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville. relieve stress, research shows. Beyond viewing, parents can speak to the baby by way of an optional oneway audio feed. “You can even sing to your baby if you want, which is something we encourage,” said Dr. Cohen. The Angel Eye system is available only in the Special Care Nursery at Clara Maass Medical Center and can be used for communication between parents and healthcare providers, and as a way to access educational videos and information. Instructions for the app are available in more than 100 languages. WHY ANGELEYE? The investment in the AngelEye system fit with the Medical Center’s commitment PHOTO COURTESY OF RWJ BARNABAS HEALTH As a pandemic precaution, prematurely born babies requiring an extended stay in the nursery at Clara Maass Medical Center can be viewed by their parents via live streaming. to support patients, their families and loved ones. “We focus a lot on what is called family-centered care, where the goal is to have the parents participate as a member of the healthcare team, to the extent that we are actually inviting the parents to join us on rounds,” Dr. Cohen said. Live streaming in the Special Care Nursery helps cement those connections and involves parents and loved ones in the early development process at a deeper level. “It’s exciting to see new parents access the application to see their baby on camera Clara Maass Medical Center Recognized Among the Top 5 Percent for Safety C lara Maass Medical Center has received the Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award. This distinction places the medical center among the top 5 percent of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for information about physicians and hospitals. During the study period (2016 to 2017 and 2016 to 2018), Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient hospitals demonstrated excellent performance in safeguarding patients in the Medicare population, as measured by objective outcomes for 13 patient safety indicators defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Healthgrades found that patients treated in hospitals receiving the Patient Safety Excellence Award were, as compared to patients at non-recipient hospitals, on average: 48.3 percent less likely to experience a collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals; 54.4 percent less likely to experience a hip fracture following surgery than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals; 66.8 percent less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals; and 63 percent less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired at the hospital than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals. for the first time,” said Javier Alvarez, MBA, CPXP, director of Patient Experience at Clara Maass Medical Center. “Their smiles are confirmation that we have created an extraordinary opportunity for new parents: the ability to stay connected and engaged with their new baby — at all times.” To learn more about maternity services and how Clara Maass Medical Center can support you in having a safe childbirth experience, visit rwjbh.org/claramaass or call 888-724-7123.