Texas Department of State Health Services designates St. Luke's Health— Sugar Land Hospital as a Level II Maternal Facility in Perinatal Care

HOUSTON (January 11, 2020) – The Family Birthing Center at St. Luke’s Health-Sugar Land Hospital is among 19 facilities in Texas that is currently designated a Level II (Specialty Care) Maternal Facility in Perinatal Care by the Texas Department of State Health Services. A Level II designation is awarded to facilities that provide complex maternal medical conditions, obstetric complications, and fetal conditions.

"This designation speaks to our commitment to providing exceptional and high-quality maternal care to mothers in Fort Bend County and complements our level II neonatal designation for perinatal care,” said Lisa Grimes-Lewis, Director of Women Services, Obstetrics, Nursery, at St. Luke’s Health—Sugar Land Hospital. “We are proud to offer families advanced maternal and neonatal care right in their community and support them every step of the way during such an important time in their lives.”

To be designated as a Level II (Specialty Care) facility, the hospital must:

• Provide care for pregnant and postpartum patients with medical, surgical, and/or obstetrical conditions that present a low to moderate risk of maternal morbidity or mortality; and
• Have skilled personnel with documented training, competencies and annual continuing education specific for the patient population served.
• Provide care for pregnant patients with the capability to detect, stabilize, and initiate management of unanticipated maternal fetal or maternal problems that occur during the antepartum, intrapartum, or postpartum period until the patient can be transferred to a higher level of neonatal and/or maternal care.
• Support personnel with knowledge and skills in breastfeeding to meet the needs of maternal patients shall be available at all times.
• Ensure that a qualified physician or certified nurse midwife with appropriate physician back-up is available to attend all deliveries or other obstetrical emergencies.

The maternal levels of care designation rule became effective on March 1, 2018 and the designation for maternal level of care is an eligibility requirement for Medicaid reimbursement beginning September 1, 2021. Levels II through IV must have a hospital survey prior to applying for designation. This state designation is valid for a three-year period. For more information, visit dshs.texas.gov.

About St. Luke’s Health – Texas Division
St. Luke’s Health is a fully-integrated network that provides care to the communities in Greater Houston, Southeast Texas, and the Brazos Valley through 16 acute care hospitals and over 270 access points including numerous urgent care centers, freestanding emergency departments, and clinics conveniently located across the region. With a team of 11,000 employees and caregivers and more than 5,000 physicians, St. Luke’s Health is dedicated to a mission of enhancing community health through high-quality, cost-effective care. A joint venture with Baylor College of Medicine, St. Luke’s Health operates Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Texas Medical Center, a leading academic health center with quaternary care and advanced specialists. St. Luke’s Health is part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. It was created in February 2019 through the alignment of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. Learn more at StLukesHealth.org.

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