November 3, 2008

Rex Van Meter, president of INTEGRIS Blackwell Regional Hospital, announced today that INTEGRIS Blackwell is beginning a five month educational program to update medical and nursing staff on care for mothers and newborns in the hospital. The Perinatal Continuing Education Program (PCEP) is offered through the Office or Perinatal Continuing Education (OPCE) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma State Legislature allocates funding for this office. The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics also provide support for the program. INTEGRIS Blackwell provides funding for educational materials to be used locally.

PCEP is a unique professional education program which has been offered throughout Oklahoma since 1984. Since that time, more than 12,600 physicians, nurses and others who care for mothers and babies in the State have taken the program in over 100 hospitals. INTEGRIS Blackwell has taken the program for 17 years. Content of the program is continually updated with major revisions every 3-4 years. Because of the many changes in care of mothers and newborns that occur, PCEP is seen as a good way to reinforce and update physicians, nurses and others on current Perinatal care practices.

Over the next five months those taking the program will participate in many different activities. Also, workshops on electronic fetal monitoring and newborn resuscitation will be held at the hospital. Two nurses, Marriya Wright and Sarah Trahan, attended a three day workshop held at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. They will work with nursing and medical staff to facilitate completion of the course content. Dr. Hague is the medical representative for the program at INTEGRIS Blackwell. He will assist in setting up the local workshops.

Those from INTEGRIS Blackwell taking the program are:

Dr. Hague
Dr. Shuart
Dan Hall
Shelbi Dyer
Sarah Trahan
Marriya Wright
Julie Clinton
April Edgar
Leah Fisher
Nancy Emery
Lacey Brewer
Shannon Glass
Miranda Ramhorst
Katherine Russell
Debbie Childers
Mary Ann Adams
Jeaneane Looper
Lynn Hatton
Audrey Childers
Marie Head
Diane Butler
Stacee Ward