March of Dimes Selects Baylor Scott & White Executives to Lead 2016 DFW March for Babies Campaign

The March of Dimes has named Baylor Scott & White Health – North Texas Division regional presidents Doug Lawson, Central Region, and Steven R. Newton, West Region, its 2016 Dallas and Fort Worth March for Babies chairs, respectively. The annual fundraising walk is scheduled for Saturday, April 16 at White Rock Lake in Dallas and at Fort Worth's Panther Island Pavilion.

"Baylor Scott & White Health is proud to support the March of Dimes effort to build awareness in preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality," Newton said. "The vital services provided to babies and mothers would not be possible without the generosity of the community and local corporate sponsors dedicating resources to this very worthy organization."

The money raised from March for Babies supports programs in North Texas that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. It also funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies.

"In 2010, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas was honored to participate in the March of Dimes Big 5 Quality Improvement Network project to eliminate non-medically indicated elective inductions before 39 weeks gestation," Lawson said. "The March of Dimes toolkit provided Baylor University Medical Center with education for health care providers, guidelines for scheduling inductions, data analysis on outcomes, and patient education resources. As a result, the hospital was able to improve the health of our newborns and reduce admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit."

Lawson is the Baylor Scott & White Health North Texas Division - Central Region and Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas president.  His central region role also includes oversight of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center—Waxahachie, and Baylor Jack & Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital.

Newton is the Baylor Scott & White Health North Texas Division - West Region and Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine president. His west region role also encompasses responsibility for Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth, which includes Andrews Women's Hospital, and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Irving.

About 30,000 North Texas supporters are expected to march for babies in the DFW area under Lawson and Newton's leadership in 2016. Local residents can sign up to walk as an individual or team for the event at marchforbabies.org.  For more information about March for Babies in Dallas contact Kathy Jamison (kjamison@marchofdimes.org, 972/232-1348) or Kimberly Robinson (krobinson@marchofdimes.org, 682/201-3037) in Fort Worth.

ABOUT MARCH OF DIMES
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs.

For the latest resources and health information, visit our websites marchofdimes.org and nacersano.org. To participate in our annual signature fundraising event, visit marchforbabies.org. If you have been affected by prematurity or birth defects, visit our shareyourstory.org community to find comfort and support. For detailed national, state and local perinatal statistics, visit persistats.org. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

* based on unaudited fiscal year 2014 financial statements

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About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com