The 2019 New Year’s baby for Thayer County Health Services is Emery Ellen Wagner.  She was born on January 20th, 2019, at 11:28 am by Dr. Bryan Hubl.  Baby Emery weighed 8 pounds and was 19.75 inches long.  Emery’s parents are Jordan and Michael from Bruning.

Photo: Back row L2R: Jamie Koch, Chief Nursing Officer; Dave Burd, Chief Executive Officer and Ranae Vorderstrasse, RN
Front Row L2R: Jordan Wagner, Emery Wagner and Michael Wagner

A basket for the New Year’s baby was presented to Emery’s parents by David Burd, TCHS Hospital Administrator.  The basket was overflowing with items from the following businesses and organizations: Amanda’s Cottage, The Bottle Shop, Bruning State Bank, By Design, Burp Rags made by Naomi Grupe, Central Market, Citizen State Bank, D’s Daylight Donuts, Dageforde Insurance Agency, Deshler Chamber of Commerce, The Deshler Rustler, Dick Walsh Insurance Agency – State Farm, Fairbury Journal News, Fleece blanket made by Amanda Hofts, Hebron Chamber of Commerce, Hebron Journal Register, Landmark – John Deere, Majestic Theatre, Mylah Rose Boutique, Noel Photography and Design, Corn Rows Quilt made by TCHS employees and sponsored by the TCHS Hospital Guild, Priefert Pharmacy, Reinke Manufacturing Co., Roehr’s Machinery, Thayer County Bank, and True Value Hardware – Hebron.

Thayer County Health Services would like to thank everyone that contributed to the New Year’s baby basket.

Hospital Named Shaken Baby Prevention Education Champion

Thayer County Health Services (TCHS) in Hebron was recently recognized as an Abusive Head Trauma / Shaken Baby Prevention Education Champion. To become an AHT/SBS Prevention Hospital Champion, the hospital signs a pledge, creates or updates an AHT/SBS policy, provides yearly education to hospital personnel, educates parents with evidence-based AHT/SBS materials in accordance with Nebraska Revised Statute 71-2103, and incorporates The Crying Plan into post-discharge patient calls.

“The stresses of parenthood can be intense, but with proper education, we are ensuring parents know the right way to deal with their new role,” said Division of Public Health Deputy Director Judy Martin. “This is a transformative initiative that impacts children in their first year of life, but affects the rest of their life.”

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) worked with the Nebraska Hospital Association, the Nebraska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative, and the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska to launch the Nebraska AHT/SBS Prevention Education Hospital Campaign. The campaign provides evidence-based education and training to parents of newborns as well as birthing hospital staff.

Eleven babies’ deaths were associated with Abusive Head Trauma for Nebraska infants between 2010 and 2016. Even one infant death is too many.  Many more babes were injured by being shaken but were able to survive. Abusive Head Trauma (AHT), also known as Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), is 100 percent preventable and is a form of physical child abuse to a baby or young child.

Resources are available to help hospitals become AHT/SBS Prevention Education Hospital Champions including an AHT/SBS Toolkit – dhhs.ne.gov/HospitalCampaign. Learn more about Abusive Head Trauma/Shaken Baby Syndrome and The Crying Plan at – http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/MCAH/Pages/SafetyResources.aspx