2008 Cardinal Health Patient Safety Grant Recipients >

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and VMC Foundation

Smart Start: Survival Without Severe Periventricular-Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Very Low Birthweight Infants

This initiative will improve the rate of survival without periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage for very low birthweight infants by implementing a standard protocol for all medical professionals who provide care to these babies. The innovative Smart Start program applies a new standardized technique and combines the best practices currently known, including: a scripted resuscitation protocol that predefines roles of each resuscitator; delayed cord clamping in all infants < 32 weeks; simulation-based training and education for all practitioners; videotaping of delivery room resuscitation and a debriefing meeting following each delivery room resuscitation in a safe, non-blame environment; assessing the success of each resuscitation based on a standardized scoring system; and tracking and reporting outcomes in real-time. Funds from Cardinal Health will be used for data collection costs, instructor training, and computer and software acquisition.

This project will be implemented at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (VMC), a 524-bed acute-care teaching hospital and research institution dedicated to the health of the whole community. As the busiest hospital in the region, VMC cares for over 25,000 hospitalized patients and provides over 700,000 outpatient and emergency visits annually – in all, providing health services to 1 in 4 residents of Santa Clara County. With an annual delivery volume of ˜6,000 per year and ~700 NICU admissions, it is the largest birthing hospital and provides tertiary care for about one third of all live births in Santa Clara County. 85% of VMC’s patients do not have private health insurance. VMC is the only hospital in the county with an open-door policy that guarantees access to medical care, regardless of ability to pay.

Program inquiries

Dr. Dongli Song
Associate Chief of Neonatology
Phone: 408.885.5420

Valley Medical Center Foundation
2400 Moorpark Ave. Suite 207
San Jose, CA 95128