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(Hyannis – May 10, 2016) Cape Cod Healthcare is pleased to announce that Cape Cod Hospital has been designated as a Center of Excellence for Education and Training for Infants and Families Impacted by Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome by the Vermont Oxford Network. The designation is awarded to health centers that successfully train at least 85 percent of their designated care team using a novel online training platform to complete 17 critical, evidence-based learning lessons. Participating centers were encouraged to implement a standardized education and training program for their healthcare team and strive to become a Center of Excellence in NAS Education and Training. In April, the Cape Cod Hospital maternity and pediatrics team received word that Cape Cod Hospital has met the Vermont Oxford Network goal of standardized education and training to become a Center of Excellence. The Vermont Oxford Network (VON) is a non-profit voluntary collaboration of healthcare professionals established in 1988. Its mission is to improve the quality and safety of medical care for newborn infants and their families through coordinated research, education and quality improvement projects. Since 2013, Cape Cod Hospital physicians and nurses have participated in neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) quality improvement initiatives and trainings sponsored by the VON. More than 20 Cape Cod Hospital clinicians recently completed VON’s process improvement project: iNICQ 2014: Structuring Success in the Care of Infants and Families Affected by Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. This Internet-based collaborative engaged 110 centers from around the U.S. in improving the quality, safety and value of care for substance-exposed infants and their families. Centers participated in a series of live webinars, developed structured improvement programs, audited their local practice outcomes and benchmarked with others. “Taking care of the most vulnerable members of our community is at the heart of what we do,” said Cape Cod Healthcare President and CEO Michael K. Lauf. “Certainly, newborn babies struggling with the effects of opiate exposure and addiction are among the most fragile, and we must do all we can to make sure they have the healthiest, safest possible start in life.” “Our incredible team of obstetricians, pediatricians, nurses and maternity and pediatrics staff has gone above and beyond to learn the latest skills to give these babies the specialized care they need and deserve,” he continued. “I’m honored to work with this exceptional group and congratulate them on their hard work and commitment, which has earned this recognition from the Vermont Oxford Network. They are leading the way in best-practice care of these infants who are innocent victims of the opiate addiction crisis.” Cape Cod Healthcare is the leading provider of healthcare services for residents and visitors of Cape Cod. With more than 450 physicians, 4,500 employees and 1,100 volunteers, Cape Cod Healthcare has two acute care hospitals, the Cape’s leading provider of homecare and hospice services (VNA), a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility, an assisted living facility, the Cape’s only local laboratory service (C-Lab) and numerous health programs. For more information, visit Cape Cod Healthcare’s web site at www.capecodhealth.org. Cape Cod Healthcare. Visit our new health news site www.onecapehealthnews.com for the latest in relevant and credible healthcare news.