Contact: Allison Hacker Marketing Communications Intern Halifax Health allison.hacker@halifax.

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PRESS RELEASE
Halifax Health Center for Women & Infant Health Kicks Off It!s "est to Wait #$il %& Weeks' Cam(ai)n
*A+$O,A "EACH- .LA/ (December 15 !"1#$ Halifax Health % Center for &omen ' Infant Health has launche( the )It*s +est to &ait ,-il #. &eeks/ cam0aign in 0artnershi0 1ith the March of Dimes. 2n 3une !4 Halifax Health 2+5678 0h9sicians an( the )It*s +est to &ait ,-il #. &eeks/ Core -eam members gathere( at the Chart House in Da9tona +each for a kick%off (inner e:ent. -he 0h9sicians gathere( to (iscuss the critical issue of non%me(icall9 necessar9 electi:e in(uctions. ;obert 7el:erton MD 1as the e:ent*s feature( s0eaker. Dr. 7el:erton is a member of the <lori(a =erinatal >ualit9 Collaborati:e*s lea(ershi0 team. He has ser:e( as chief of the obstetrics an( g9necolog9 (e0artments for the ?nite( @tates Air <orce ;egional Hos0ital at MacDill Air <orce +ase an( @t. 3ose0h*s &omen*s Hos0ital. )Halifax Health is taking the initiati:e to e(ucate 1omen in the communit9 about the risks of sche(uling (eli:eries earl9 for non%me(ical reasons. -his is a :er9 im0ortant 0atient safet9 initiati:e an( 1ill change our 0ractice culture / sa9s +onnie &ittman ;8 ser:ice line a(ministrator for Halifax Health % Center for &omen ' Infant Health. =resente( in 0artnershi0 1ith the March of Dimes the goal of the )It*s +est to &ait ,-il #. &eeks/ cam0aign is to inform ex0ecting mothers about the maAor health a(:antages of 1aiting Aust a little longer to meet their 0recious bab9. Me(ical ex0erts agree if at all 0ossible mothers shoul( refrain from in(ucing labor an( instea( (eli:er after #. 1eeks because of the significant (e:elo0ments still taking 0lace. Im0ortant organs such as the brain lungs an( li:er are still in (e:elo0ment. +abies born after #. 1eeks are less likel9 to ha:e hearing an( :ision 0roblems after birth. Also sometimes babies born earl9 cannot suck s1allo1 an( sta9 a1ake long enough to eat after birth. If a 1oman has a health9 0regnanc9 1aiting until #. 1eeks is also safer for her bo(9 as 1ell. <or more information 0lease :isit the March of Dimes 1ebsite.
Halifax Health

;anke( among the to0 fi:e 0ercent of all hos0itals in the nation for clinical outcomes Halifax Health ser:es Bast Central <lori(a an( 0ro:i(es a continuum of healthcare ser:ices through a net1ork of organiCations inclu(ing a tertiar9 hos0ital a communit9 hos0ital 0s9chiatric ser:ices a cancer treatment center 1ith four outreach locations the area*s largest hos0ice a health maintenance organiCation an( a 0referre( 0ro:i(er organiCation. Halifax Health offers the area*s onl9 De:el II -rauma Center Com0rehensi:e @troke Center 8eonatal an( =e(iatric Intensi:e Care ?nits =e(iatric Bmergenc9 De0artment Chil( an( A(olescent +eha:ioral @er:ices com0lete 8eurosurgical @er:ices an( 2+ Bmergenc9 De0artment. Halifax Health has consistentl9 recei:e( to0 ratings for its me(ical s0ecialties inclu(ing E1 in <lori(a an( to0 5F in the ?nite( @tates for 2rtho0e(ics E! in <lori(a an( to0 5F in the ?nite( @tates for @0inal @urger9 to0 5F in the ?nite( @tates for Maternit9 care in !"1! to0 5F in the ?nite( @tates for @troke @er:ices to0 1"F in the ?nite( @tates for Gascular @er:ices an( the highest rankings for Heart @er:ices. Halifax Health also ranke( E1 in the Orlando Sentinels !""H -o0 1"" Com0anies for &orking <amilies. Halifax Health has been <i:e%@tar ;ate( in 2:erall 2rtho0e(ic @er:ices 3oint ;e0lacement -otal Inee ;e0lacement Hi0 <racture -reatment an( +ack an( 8eck @urger9 @0inal <usion for J 9ears in a ro1K <i:e @tar ;ate( in @0ine @urger9 for H 9ears in a ro1 an( <i:e @tar ;ate( in +ack an( 8eck @urger9 exclu(ing @0inal <usion for 1" 9ears in a ro1. Halifax Health Maternit9 Care has also been <i:e @tar ;ate( for L 9ears in a ro1 an( <i:e @tar ;ate( in 69necologic @urger9 in !"11 an( !"1!. <or more information :isit halifaxhealth.org.

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