SFBH and SJH Receive Florida Award

PLANT CITY, Fla., Oct. 26, 2018 – The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the Florida Department of Health (DOH) announced South Florida Baptist Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital-South as two of 20 Florida hospitals in 2017 that achieved the Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) Maternal and Child Health goal focused on reducing cesarean section deliveries for first-time mothers with low-risk pregnancies. AHCA and DOH announced the recognition awards to hospitals at the Florida Hospital Association’s annual meeting on Oct. 4, 2018 during the Celebration of Achievement in Quality and Service Awards Ceremony.

South Florida Baptist Hospital’s C-section rate in 2017 was 21.0 percent and St. Joseph’s Hospital-South’s C-section rate was 18.3 percent, well below the 23.9 percent national goal.

While life-saving in certain cases, cesarean sections (C-sections) can pose serious health risks to mothers and babies. Once a woman has a cesarean, she has a greater chance of having a C-section for subsequent births, increasing her risk of major birth complications. For the baby, some of the consequences can include a longer hospital stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, as well as higher rates of respiratory infection.

The mission of this recognition program is to highlight the importance of this health care quality issue statewide and to recognize those hospitals that are contributing to providing quality health care for mothers and infants. Both AHCA and DOH have recognized that the high rate of low-risk cesarean births is a major maternal and child health issue in Florida, as the state has one of the highest rates in the nation.[1]

C-section rates for first-time low-risk pregnancies in Florida delivery hospitals range from 17 percent to 61 percent. State and local health officials believe that variation at this magnitude indicates a serious public health concern that needs to be addressed statewide. In response to the rise of unnecessary C-sections across the United States, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services adopted the HP2020 target of reducing nationwide C-section rates for low-risk births to 23.9 percent.

Sample Facts

• Each year, slightly fewer than 4 million babies are born in the United States [2], with Florida accounting for 5.7 percent of all U.S. births (223,000 babies per year). [3]
• Florida’s 2017 rate of cesarean sections is 37.2 percent [4], one of the highest state rates in the nation. [5]
• There were 119,820 live births [6] funded by Florida Medicaid, and C-sections accounted for 36 percent.

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About South Florida Baptist Hospital

Since 1953, South Florida Baptist Hospital has served Plant City and surrounding areas as a not-for-profit community hospital. The progressive, 147-bed acute care facility offers a full range of diagnostic, rehabilitative, surgical, therapeutic and women’s services, including obstetrics. South Florida Baptist Hospital is part of the BayCare Health System, a family of health care providers consisting of the 14 leading not-for-profit hospitals in the Tampa Bay region.

About St. Joseph’s Hospital-South

St. Joseph’s Hospital-South opened in February 2015 to bring high-quality health care services to southern Hillsborough County in an environment designed to help patients heal. Part of BayCare Health System, St. Joseph’s Hospital-South features all private patient suites and offers emergency care, surgical services, imaging, intensive care, obstetrics, cardiac catheterization and more in a peaceful, relaxing and family-centered environment. Located south of Tampa in Riverview, the all-digital, state-of-the-art facility is specially designed to make patients and visitors as comfortable as possible during their hospital experience.

About BayCare Health System

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.