MADISONVILLE, Ky. — Trover Health System will be featured in an upcoming special on Kentucky Educational Television, Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 9/8 p.m. CT. The special, titled Born Too Soon, examines preterm birth rates in Kentucky. Trover was chosen to participate because it is one of three hospitals in the state that is taking part in an initiative to reduce state preterm birth rates by 15 percent.

Born Too Soon visits the neonatal intensive care units at Trover, as well as at King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, and University of Kentucky HealthCare’s children’s hospital in Lexington. The program examines causes of preterm birth, the impact of scheduling labor for convenience, and efforts to address this issue. According to the March of Dimes, prematurity is the number one cause of death for newborn infants. In the United States, about 1 in 8 babies are born prematurely, and Kentucky has one of the highest rates of preterm births in the nation.

Trover physician Heather Ricketts, who was interviewed for the program said, "This program calls special attention to this important, state-wide epidemic. Trover is working to educate expecting mothers on the causes of preterm birth and how they can increase their chances of having a healthy pregnancy. We hope the KET program will help more women understand the dangers and take necessary precautions because healthy babies truly are worth the wait."

Born Too Soon was developed based on a program called Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait. This program is a partnership of the March of Dimes, Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, and the Kentucky Department for Public Health. Trover and the two other Kentucky hospitals were chosen to take part in the three year initiative, focusing on consumer awareness and education, access to screenings and referrals for treatable or preventable conditions, consistent clinical care and professional education.

"Trover is committed to helping expecting mothers have access to the care and information they need to have a healthy, full-term pregnancy," said Trover President and CEO, E. Berton Whitaker. "At Trover, we have adopted a well-rounded approach to address this national problem and we are pleased with the success we’ve seen thus far."

In 2007, Trover's CenteringPregnancy program was the only program in the state to be awarded the Best Practice Honor. Centering brings the traditional prenatal visit out of the exam room setting and into a group setting.

Currently, Trover also offers classes on childbirth, how to have a healthy pregnancy, childbirth preparedness, breastfeeding, infant care, mommy-fitness, nutrition, how to manage siblings at birth, and vaginal birth after cesarean.

The program airs Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 9/8 p.m. CT on KET and Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 8/7 p.m. CT on KET2. To view a trailer of the program, please click here.

Trover Health System is an integrated health provider serving western Kentucky residents for more than 50 years. With nine locations in six counties, Trover proudly offers 55 services and specialties to meet the needs of Kentuckians close to home. With more than 130 primary care, mid-level and specialist physicians, 500 registered nurses and 1,000 licensed health care professionals, Trover is made up of an experienced team of dedicated staff. Trover provides healthcare solutions with compassion and respect for the uniqueness of every individual. Guided by a values-based culture to consistently deliver clinical and service excellence to our patients, Trover strives for excellent care, every time. For more information, please visit www.troverhealth.org.