Mountain View, CA - May 22, 2009 - The Women's Hospital at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, California has joined Spirit of Women, an integrated partnership of hospitals and healthcare systems across the country that aim to drive health action for women and their families.
"Spirit of Women allows The Women's Hospital to draw on the strength and support of a national network while continuing to focus on meeting the unique local needs of Silicon Valley patients and families," said Michele van Zuiden, Executive Director. "It allows us to share and exchange best practices with the nation's best women's health care organizations."
In addition to providing educational and healthy lifestyle activities for its members to offer women at all stages of their lives, Spirit of Women has created a comprehensive list of National Standards for Excellence in Women’s Health, to which members are expected to adhere.
"Our affiliation with Spirit of Women is a reflection of our commitment to do whatever it takes to improve the status of women's health," said El Camino Hospital CEO Ken Graham. "It allows us not only to implement valuable education and relationship programs in our local market, but to join Spirit of Women in a national advocacy campaign that spotlights women's health issues for key government decision makers."
"I have been singularly impressed with El Camino Hospital’s investment in taking women’s health in the Silicon Valley to the next level," says Tanya Abreu, President and National Program Office, Spirit of Women Health Network. "Their energetic and expert approach to healthcare is solidly based on value, innovation, and better health outcomes in the community. I am confident that El Camino Hospital will be a premier member of our Spirit hospital coalition as we work together to raise the bar in women's health throughout the United States."
Women's Health Services Leader
With a free-standing, three-story maternal child health pavilion as its centerpiece, The Women's Hospital at El Camino Hospital encompasses not only prenatal, maternity and neonatal services, but also a comprehensive range of clinical services focused on the health needs of women throughout their lifetimes. Both the hospital and its service line are designed and staffed to meet the unique needs and preferences of women, who represent 65% of patients who receive care at El Camino Health.
Already considered a leader in women’s services, El Camino Health is the only hospital in Northern California to receive HealthGrades' Women's Health Excellence Award three years in a row; the only one in the region to be 5-star rated for Women's Health Services; ranked first in California for the second year in a row for the percentage of women who begin breastfeeding after birth (97%); and has over 4500 annual births in its birthing center--a number that will rise to over 5300 when its acquisition and reopening of former Community Hospital of Los Gatos is completed in early July. Independent marketing studies say it is preferred for maternity services by a factor of nearly three to one over other local facilities.
The hospital even has pioneered a unique Maternal Mood Services Outreach program, the most comprehensive program in the western United States, with culturally sensitive resources not found anywhere else in Northern California.
"Our commitment is to make this one of the premier women's hospitals, not just in California, but also the United States," said van Zuiden. "Our partnership with Spirit of Women Hospital Network provides tremendous resources to help us reach that goal."
About Spirit of Women
The Spirit of Women Hospital Network is a national coalition that inspires health and wellness on a local level by leveraging national resources. Hospitals and healthcare facilities in more than 85 U.S. communities create the core through which Spirit of Women reaches women and seeks to inspire access and action for better national health. Utilizing a variety of means, including educational events, national awards and promotion of research, Spirit of Women addresses health topics such as menopause, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, healthy pregnancy and many others.
About El Camino Hospital
El Camino Hospital, ranked among the top five percent of hospitals nationwide for clinical excellence by HealthGrades, is an acute care, not-for-profit and locally governed organization with campuses in Mountain View and Los Gatos, Calif. Key medical specialty focuses include cancer care, heart & vascular, neuroscience, genomic medicine, orthopedic & spine and women's health.
El Camino Hospital has delivered the highest level of medical services to the communities of Silicon Valley for more than four decades. The hospital is also recognized as a national leader in the use of health information technology to promote patient safety, including computerized order entry, electronic medical records and wireless communications.
To learn more about El Camino Health and its services in Mountain View and Los Gatos, visit our website.