Baby Education for South Texas - BEST!
Baby Education for South Texas or B.E.S.T. is a collaboration of doctors, health care professionals, and community members coming together to decrease infant mortality and to promote healthy development by identifying modifiable risk factors, supporting community resources, and enhancing heal education, advocacy, and awareness. Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of infants and ensure they have the best environment in which to thrive
In October 2015, the Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy Coalition Team was formed by community Neonatologists with the one goal to create awareness of SUID as a preventable cause of infancy death in order to influence a meaningful and long-lasting change in behavior via education. We embarked in creating hospital-specific initiatives to empower champions in standardizing staff (medical/nursing/ancillary) and parent education:
Nursery Teams
1. Standardized packets for discharge and discharge teaching.
2. Standardize discharge documentation in the infant’s medical record.
3. NICHD Safe Sleep for Your Baby video being looped in the hospital’s Newborn Channel, if available. Otherwise, require that parents view the video prior to discharge.
NICU Team
1. Standardized packets for discharge and discharge teaching.
2. Standardize discharge documentation in the infant’s medical record
3. Implementation of safe sleep placard for bedside education.
4. Parents are to view the NICHD Safe Sleep for Your Baby video at same time as CPR education is given.
Outpatient Team
1. Resident education on safe to sleep campaign, including follow up/continued teaching at resident lectures, continuity clinic, etc.
2. Awareness of the campaign to our outpatient pediatricians and Pedi ER providers to continue to reinforce safe sleep environment practices via letters, memos and in-person education.
3. Make readily available materials related to creating safe sleep environments.
Hospital Leadership
1. Awareness of staff education, coalition initiatives and PR efforts.
Public Relations
1. Create or obtain posters, with approval for placement in areas of high traffic.
2. Help shine light in this initiative via social media, television, radio, etc.
3. Metro Health to release a high alert memo to all providers in catchment area.
4. Expand coordination of efforts and join forces with community organizations sharing same purpose.
In March 2016, as the statistics and demographics of SUID in our city were reviewed, we decided to create an entity to have greater ability to exert education and awareness. The Baby Education for South Texas – B. E. S. T. filed a Certificate of Formation Nonprofit Corporation with the Office of the Secretary of State on April 6th, 2016.
The B. E. S. T. Bylaws were adopted on May 16th, 2016 to be operated exclusively for the mission of improving the health and well-being of infants and ensure they have the best environment in which to thrive. The organization’s goal is to decrease infant mortality and to promote healthy development by identifying modifiable risk factors, supporting community resources, and enhancing health education, advocacy, and awareness.
The Board of Directors comprises of 6-10 Board Members and Ex-Officio members as the Board deems necessary.
B.E.S.T. is a nonprofit organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
