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Department Spotlight: Customer Engagement Center
Do it for the patient. That’s the motto that each employee in the Customer Engagement Center (CEC) lives by every single day. This team spins all the existing stereotypical thoughts about call centers on their side by empowering and partnering with patients to achieve their best health. Being transferred around several times just isn’t in this team’s DNA – being a one-stop-shop for patient scheduling, referrals, insurance matters and more is how they proudly operate. Through elevating the customer engagement experience, the CEC closes care gaps to ensure patients get the right care at the right time. From employees who work from our home base in Reno, all the way to the southeastern corner of Florida, this primarily remote team stays firmly connected and collaborative to make patient care possible for all Renown Health patients and Hometown Health and Senior Care Plus members. The “Make It Happen” Department Back-to-back phone calls about a wide variety of patient needs? They make it happen. Referrals that need to go directly to the provider? They make it happen. Complex insurance questions that need to be resolved? They make it happen. The CEC is the keeper of all things customer service and all things patient satisfaction, leveraging technology to improve engagement and accessibility – and they wear that badge with pride. “Patient care is our first priority,” said Cindy Arevalo, Supervisor of Customer Engagement. “Even though we aren’t face-to-face with them, we are always there to help them over the phone with whatever their needs are.” The CEC has a lot of different sub-departments under its umbrella: scheduling, referrals, insurance, patient outreach, personal assistants, MyChart customer service and more. Each team handles calls for a different section of our health system, including the hospitals, imaging, primary care and specialty care. While their individual teams may be different, one aspect of their jobs remains the same: they care. Deeply. “We advocate for the patient, especially when they can’t advocate for themselves,” said Amanda Ishii, Referral Specialist. “We are the first people that patients speak to, and we all have empathy to listen to them, help them solve their problems and take as much time as they need to care for their needs,” added Susana Arroyo Garcia, Supervisor of Customer Engagement. Customer loyalty is key to the CEC. Every CEC team member builds strong relationships with patients and members. Whether they manage patient outreach or manage back-to-back inbound calls, each employee feels a special connection to the helpful work they do to solve a variety of patient concerns. “As Senior Care Plus Personal Assistants, for instance, we help guide our members through complex situations, and we eliminate the process of transferring them to different departments, becoming a ‘one-stop-shop' for them,” said Stephanie Perez Campbell, Senior Care Plus (SCP) Health Coordinator. “While every day is different, we are constantly learning new things and helping members navigate through the health system." With the 4.5 million calls the CEC handles per year, the nature of their jobs is undoubtedly fast paced. However, this does not intimidate the CEC team members; instead, it inspires them to continue reaching new milestones, helping thousands of patients and members every year by handling all the scheduling and referral work on the backend so that they can receive the care needed. “I never find myself sitting around asking, ‘what should I do next,’” said Gina Briles, Supervisor of Customer Engagement. “We always support each other to stay on top of it all in order to take care of our patients.” By wearing a lot of hats and managing many different work queues all while staying engaged with each patient, the CEC is full of natural problem-solvers, helping our healthcare network run smoothly. “The Engagement Center is the front door for the community; serving as the voice of the customer, we ensure patients do not fall through the cracks of the complex healthcare system and are able to easily access the right care at the right time through an exceptional experience,” said Candace Dietrich, Director of Customer Engagement. Consistently Connected With thousands of referrals to process and millions of calls to field, the ways the CEC stays connected to patients and members as well as each other can be related closely to magic. No concern goes unnoticed, and no problem is too complicated. “The sheer volume of patients we engage with is incredible,” said Rene Jacinto, Manager of Customer Engagement. “We processed nearly 200,000 referrals and authorizations last year.” “We expect a steady increase of calls year-over-year. My team processed 1,259 referrals in one day alone recently,” added Arielle Gomes, Referral Specialist. A superpower that every CEC team member holds is the ability to listen. According to this department, active listening is key when problem-solving with every patient and member, as that skill helps them anticipate patient needs and resolve their issues quickly and efficiently. “I’ll always listen,” said Alex Gomez, Customer Engagement Representative. “I want them to know that they are in good hands, especially when they are feeling scared or frustrated.” Team members like Alex help carefully guide customers through the Hometown Health and Senior Care Plus enrollment process, increasing membership and engaging patients to find the perfect plan for them. One of the largest challenges the CEC faces is the departures and arrivals of providers. The ebbs and flows of all hospital systems include provider departures and shifting provider availabilities. Despite this challenge, the CEC staff work hard to ensure communication with all patients regarding provider changes is consistent and that all patients are scheduled in a slot that works for both their schedule and the provider’s schedule. “It’s important for us to be flexible, because things can change at a moment’s notice,” said Gina Briles. “This is more than just a job – we are here for our patients. What we are doing impacts everyone.” Throughout all times of transition, the CEC builds robust relationships with both patients and providers within our organization and community, a skill that this team emphasizes as “fundamentally important.” For example, SCP Personal Assistants like Stephanie Perez Campbell will coordinate care with community resources and offices, giving members one less call to make and one less hurdle to cross in order to get the care they need. On top of it all, even though this team has the ability to work from all 50 states (and many of them work outside of Nevada!), every employee feels connected to their colleagues and their work. “This is the best group of people I’ve ever worked with,” said Riley Petro, Manager of Customer Engagement – Imaging. “I am super lucky for this job and am so thankful for these people.” Proud and Powerful The proof is in the pudding – or rather, the proof is in the numbers. Within the 4.5 million calls they successfully field every year, approximately 1.6 million of those calls route through the private branch exchange (PBX) team – the team that oversees the main operator lines – under the guidance of Jess Nater, Supervisor of Customer Engagement. The CEC is also on track to handle nearly 300,000 referrals this year alone. Additionally, the Hometown Health CEC team was recognized nationally this year with a five-star rating from Medicare. “We all have the initiative to grow, and because of this, we are always learning something new,” said Cindy Arevalo. “Our leaders also support our growth, especially if we want to skill-build or advance in our careers.” The CEC is frequently the first stop on the career ladder for many employees as they start their journey in healthcare, and CEC leadership is committed to the growth and development of their teams to reach their career goals at Renown. The secret formula for all this success can be in part attributed to the pride each CEC employee has for their team, their work and Renown. “We have a very supportive team,” said Holly Coffey, Supervisor of Customer Engagement. “I’ve seen our leaders support their teams tremendously.” “We rely on each other,” added Ashleigh Carty, Customer Engagement Representative. "I love the relationships we create with one another.” Employees in the CEC come from many walks of life, choosing to work at Renown and Hometown Health for a variety of different reasons, many related to the positive power our health system holds. Team members in this department hold a myriad of different career backgrounds, including pharmacy technicians, medical assistants, population health professionals, community health workers and more. Some team members, like Nikki Clifford, Customer Engagement Representative Lead, heard wonderful things about Renown from her mother, who also works for Renown. According to Nikki, “seeing how happy my mom has been in her career made me want to join too. I’ve loved it here ever since.” Katie Lunau, Supervisor of Customer Engagement, also grew up in a family involved in healthcare, and she wanted to follow in their footsteps. Choosing Renown as the place to follow her family path was a simple one, because “Renown stood out as the company that was actively involved in the community helping others.” For other team members, like Susana Arroyo Garcia, Ashleigh Carty and Stephanie Perez Campbell, Renown and Hometown Health’s impact on the local healthcare landscape was their primary driver for choosing a career here and in the CEC specifically. “Renown is very well-known in the area,” said Stephanie Perez Campbell. “I went to school in Reno for public health, so Renown came up all the time in my schooling. I knew Renown had a lot of different opportunities available for career growth, and with the friendly environment I always experienced here, it was an easy decision.” “Once I went through the interview process and joined the team, I immediately realized that there are outstanding managers, support systems and communication skills here. People genuinely care,” added Ashleigh Carty. Ashleigh is exactly right. As emphasized by every team member, employees in the CEC care. Their heightened levels of care and empathy set the bar high for all at Renown and Hometown Health, and their impact will be felt for years to come.
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10 Facts About Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression linked to seasonal changes. Learn to recognize the symptoms of SAD in your kids (or yourself) should they appear. We checked in with Dr. Vanessa Slots, the Division Chief of General Pediatrics at Renown to help us understand this condition. 1. Blame SAD on the sun—or the lack of it Seasonal Affective Disorder is a more severe form of the “winter blues. Over-sleeping, feeling irritable or unhappy, and withdrawing from people are classic symptoms of SAD. Approximately 90 percent of people with SAD experience depressive symptoms yearly in the fall and winter, while about 10 percent have depression in the spring and summer. The causes of SAD aren’t explicitly known. Still, researchers believe it’s related to a change in circadian rhythms, with differences in the amount of sunlight during different times of the year as one factor. 2. The further north you live, the more common SAD becomes While Seasonal Affective Disorder is predominantly an adult condition, estimates are that one million children in North America have it. Interestingly, SAD does not occur in the tropics. 3. SAD is more recognizable in adults than in children Common symptoms include feeling “empty,” pessimistic, hopeless, short-tempered, restless and not knowing what to do with oneself. Symptoms vary greatly from one individual to the next. SAD is more common in women than in men. When symptoms are severe, physical examinations are required to rule out other medical causes and determine whether antidepressant medication is needed. 4. In teenagers, symptoms tend to revolve around school-related issues Schoolwork suffers, students have difficulty getting up in the morning and arriving late for class, homework is incomplete, and grades may plummet. Afflicted students have difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions. They lose interest in activities that they previously enjoyed. Some teenagers tend to overeat, crave carbohydrates such as pasta and gain weight. Many teachers, school counselors and therapists should be more familiar with Seasonal Affective Disorder.
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Remove the Guesswork with Renown’s Labor Assessment Area
Pictured above: A section of Renown’s Labor Assessment Area. When patients expecting a new child are about to give birth, nerves can be especially heightened. Questions flood their minds: Is the baby actually on the way? What’s going to happen next? Are we ready to push? Lucky for them, at Renown Health, the guesswork can finally end with Renown’s Labor & Delivery unit Labor Assessment Area. This unique space is a triage area that helps make more precise labor diagnoses by determining exactly what stage expectant parents are at in the labor process. Funded by a state grant more than a decade ago, the six-bed Labor Assessment Area sees 500-600 patients per month – from patients entering the unit directly, unsure if they are in active labor, to patients who are sent over from elsewhere experiencing labor symptoms, such as high blood pressure and water breaking. The area also serves as a pre-operation space for patients getting ready for procedures such as C-sections. The six cubicles that are enclosed with doors and curtains ensure each patient gets the private, one-on-one care they need. Furthermore, rather than sitting in a waiting room, this area allows expectant parents a comfortable place to prepare for labor. “We are a unit that prides ourselves on getting patients into beds very quickly,” said Debbie Hawley, Associate Nurse Manager in Renown’s Labor & Delivery unit. “This area has allowed us to triage more effectively and allow more patients to collaborate with their provider in a quick manner.”
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Top Safe Sleep Tips for Your Baby
Becoming a parent for the first time means lots of new unknowns – from learning to breastfeed and swaddle to buckling your newborn into the car seat for the first time. But when it comes to putting them to bed safely, it’s important to remember it really can mean life or death. It’s something we’re taught before our little one is even here: the correct way to put your baby to bed safely. Sadly though, the number of infant deaths continues to climb. The main culprit of sleep-related infant death continues to be all the items parents leave in the crib with their babies. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are about 3,500 sleep-related deaths among babies each year. “The best advice is ‘bare is best.’ Keep your infant’s sleep space clutter free – no blankets, bumpers, toys or pillows,” said Karen Wagner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Follow the ABCs for Safe Sleep Remembering the ABCs is an easy way to remember how to put your little one to bed safely. A: Alone No blankets, toys or pillows. “We do recommend using a sleep sack as a blanket alternative,” said Karen. “It prevents the risk of suffocation and keeps your baby warm.” Keep in mind, the greatest risk for suffocation happens when babies are under 1 year of age, so it’s best to save the toys, blankets and pillows for their “big kid bed,” or around 18 months old. B: Back The slogan “back is best” is another good reminder. Keeping your baby on their back until they’re old enough to rollover helps reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). C: Crib It is best to have your baby sleep alone in their crib. While co-sleeping may be enticing, especially after a late-night feed, it increases the risks of possible suffocation. However, “having your child in your room, in their own crib or bassinet, is protective for SIDS,” Karen said. “In fact, we think co-rooming reduces SIDS risk by almost 50 percent.” Co-rooming allows parents to keep new babies in close reach and helps parents oversee their baby’s sleep, just in case something happens.
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Plan Early: Completing Your Advance Directive
We plan for the birth of a child, weddings and retirement, but rarely do we discuss how we want to be cared for at the end of our lives. Getting through this challenging conversation and completing an Advance Directive can give you peace of mind that your loved ones will not have to make difficult choices on your behalf. The best time to complete an Advance Directive is now – don’t wait until a life-limiting illness or crisis occurs to discuss your views about end-of-life care and to learn what choices are available. By preparing in advance, you can help reduce the doubt and anxiety related to decision-making for your family if you cannot speak for yourself. What are Advance Directives? An Advance Directive is a document that states your choices about medical treatment and names another person to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to. This document allows you to make legally valid decisions about future medical care. “Completing your Advance Directive is a gift you give your family,” says Director of Palliative Care, Mary-Ann Brown RN, MSN. “The stress associated with these difficult decisions is decreased if everyone knows what is important to you and what you want at the end of life.”
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A Q&A with Dr. Brian Erling, CEO & President of Renown Health
On behalf of Renown’s more than 7,000 employees, we are thrilled to introduce our healthcare system’s next CEO and President, Brian Erling, MD, MBA. Dr. Erling joins Renown after working for more than 20 years in Colorado, most recently as the CEO and President of Penrose-St. Francis Health System in Colorado Springs for Centura Health. “I am so excited to join Renown Health at this important time. Healthcare and our economy are amid a major transformation, and Renown Health is very well positioned for the future,” Dr. Erling said. “Our ongoing success will hinge on our ability to establish positive and productive relationships, maintain high-quality patient clinical outcomes and experiences, reduce healthcare costs, encourage innovation and improve access and affordability for patients and members.” Q: Let’s start at the beginning. When did your interest in healthcare first begin? A: Believe it or not, I started my healthcare career during high school in Minnesota when I worked as a nursing assistant. I then worked as a monitor tech while pursuing my undergraduate degree in biology from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Q: Where did you go to medical school, and what was your first job after training? A: After graduating from The John Hopkins University School of Medicine and spending three years at the University of Virginia for my residency, I spent more than a decade in the emergency department at a level 1 trauma center. Q: Does your experience as a physician impact your approach to healthcare leadership? A: Yes, absolutely. I have worked my fair share of nights, weekends and holidays, and I know the sacrifices healthcare workers – and their families – make to care for our communities. I will never take it for granted. I also understand how complex healthcare organizations are, and I have experienced these complexities from both the clinical and non-clinical sides. I have provided clinical leadership for a large, regional health system and understand that quality, safety and innovation come from the people doing the work, not from a corporate office. But you also need strong managers and leaders to facilitate and prioritize the work while providing support and coaching. Q: What is the key to a successful healthcare system? A: Teamwork. In fact, being part of a high-performing, mission-driven team is my number one motivation. It’s what gets me up in the morning and why I work in healthcare. I view our greatest resource to be our people, meaning Renown’s more than 7,000 employees. Modern technologies – such as fancy robots and imaging equipment – are essential and pretty cool, but they are not why our patients choose us. They come for trusted care in their hometown. Q: Renown Health is going through a lot of exciting changes right now. What is one thing that excites you about joining this healthcare system in a rapidly expanding area of the country? A: I am very excited about the new partnership with Renown and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. While still in its infancy, it provides the platform for us to be the center for training, research and tertiary care for the region and beyond. Q: What is something you have learned from working with CEOs at other healthcare systems? A: Healthcare leaders often have a short half-life, but that is not me. I believe it is difficult to create and move an organization toward a unified vision when your leader changes every few years. As my track record will support, this is not my style. I have been in Colorado for over twenty years and now look forward to making Reno and Renown my home for years to come. Q: As you know, Hometown Health is Renown’s health insurance arm. How does equitable access to insurance fit into a person’s and a community’s overall well-being? A: Most health systems would love to have their own health plan. The reality is that you cannot meaningfully improve the health of the population without managing value and risk. We are fortunate to have Hometown Health as part of Renown Health, and in our community, and I am excited to work with Bethany and the team to fulfill the mission of the organization. Q: What does working at a not-for-profit healthcare system mean to you? How does it differ from the for-profit sector? A: I have worked in for-profit and not-for-profit healthcare. Renown is unique as the only not-for-profit health system in the market. What that means is that we invest every penny earned back into caring for our community. We don’t send money to shareholders in California or Pennsylvania, we invest it right here in Nevada. Not only is a not-for-profit healthcare organization where I want to work for, but it is where my family and I want to go for care. Q: What do you like to do for fun? A: I love spending time with my wife and three adult children. I met my wife, Jessica, while attending medical school in Baltimore. She was working as a nurse in the surgical ICU, and I was smitten. I offered to help her with a 3 a.m. bed linen change and bath for our trauma patient, and the rest was history. I also love exploring the outdoors, especially snowboarding!
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Lyme Disease: 3 Things You Should Know
Approximately 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease every year. Lyme disease is an infection that is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged or “deer” tick. It’s the most common and fastest-growing vector-borne disease in the United States. This bacterial infection, if left untreated, can cause serious pain, fatigue and other crippling symptoms. Keeping an eye out for early signs of Lyme disease, implementing prevention techniques and understanding testing and treatment options can go a long way in maintaining your health. We consulted with Peter O’Reilly, PA-C at Renown Medical Group – South Carson to learn more. 1. Recognizing the Signs of Lyme Disease Lyme disease is extremely easy to misdiagnose, given that most of its early signs and symptoms mimic those of other conditions, such as COVID-19. Common Lyme Disease symptoms include: Fever Chills Joint or muscle pain Swollen glands Extreme fatigue Headache The primary initial symptom that occurs in about 80 percent of Lyme disease cases is a “bulls-eye” rash that spreads around the site of the tick bite – called “erythema migrans.” Tick bites can be hard to find and not everyone gets the classic bullseye rash, making Lyme disease difficult to self-diagnose. O’Reilly suggests talking to either your primary care doctor or infection doctor as soon as possible if you’re concerned about Lyme disease.
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Lung Cancer Screening and Early Detection
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the U.S. The good news is the five-year survival rate increases dramatically if lung cancer is treated before spreading to other parts of the body. Julie Locken, MD, of Renown Health Imaging, explains more. What are the signs and symptoms of lung cancer? As you might expect, most lung cancer symptoms appear in the chest and can affect your breathing. Watch for signs such as: Persistent cough Constant chest pain Shortness of breath Wheezing Bloody or rust-colored phlegm Hoarseness Swelling of the neck Pain or weakness in the shoulder, arm or hand Recurring pneumonia, bronchitis or other lung infections Loss of appetite and loss of weight can also be signs of lung cancer That said, there are usually no symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer, which means getting screened can truly be a lifesaver. If you have a history of smoking, you should get screened as a precaution. What are the risk factors of lung cancer? Around 80% of lung cancer cases stem from a history of smoking tobacco. But there are other known causes, such as secondhand smoke, radon, asbestos and diesel exhaust. It’s important to do what you can to eliminate exposure to all of these to reduce your lung cancer risk. People with an immediate relative – a parent, sibling or child – diagnosed with lung cancer and people between 50 and 80 years old are also at higher risk and may need to consider screening. People who are at the highest risk are those with a history of smoking tobacco, particularly smokers who averaged one pack of cigarettes per day for 20 years or more, as well as former heavy smokers who quit in the last 15 years.
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Top 5 Misconceptions About Clinical Trials
There are many misconceptions about clinical research, so we have unpacked a few common myths we hear to help you make an informed decision in your healthcare. Misconception #1: If I join a clinical trial, I’ll just be a guinea pig. Quite the opposite is true! Through honest and respectful conversation, we ensure all participants are informed of the benefits and risks associated with the clinical trial during the informed consent process. Being in a clinical trial is voluntary, and we respect our patients’ decision to join or decline to participate in the clinical trial. You can always change your mind at any time as well. When patients join a clinical trial, they receive an additional team of healthcare professionals, including additional physicians, pharmacists and research coordinators, dedicated to their safety and well-being. This means that clinical trial participants often receive more support than they would in the standard treatment setting. Misconception #2: Clinical trials are too dangerous because they use new treatments that haven’t been tested. We recognize that there are different levels of risk associated with participating in a clinical trial depending on the type of study. However, new treatments are only reviewed through clinical trials after they have gone through extensive testing. New treatments that do not show promising results for safety and potential benefit during laboratory testing do not receive approval to begin clinical trials. Your research team reviews any expected benefits and risks identified from previous studies during the informed consent process, as well as any updates that occur throughout the duration of the clinical trial. The research team stays in close contact with you during the entire process, documenting and treating any side effects that you experience for both your safety and the safety of participants like you. Misconception #3: I don't want to join a trial because I could be wasting my time receiving a placebo. A placebo is a substance that has no therapeutic effect, sometimes called a “sugar pill.” Participants who receive a placebo during a clinical trial are very important, helping researchers definitively determine the specific good and bad effects of the new medication. Many clinical trials that involve a placebo also offer what is called an open label extension or cross-over study. Cross-over studies ensure that anyone taking the placebo can begin receiving the new medication, often for several years. Cross-over studies help clinician researchers understand the long-term effects of a medication while also giving patients free access to novel care for several months and even years.
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Berrylicious Parfait
Treat yourself and your family to this tasty delight on those busy pre-holiday mornings. Super quick to make, this light berry parfait is naturally sweet, packed with protein and texture, and has less than 300 calories!
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5 Things to Know About Women’s Heart Disease
Heart disease is more common in women than many people think. In fact, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, ahead of cancer and stroke. However, the common signs and symptoms we often associate with men and heart disease don’t always align with women. Thankfully, Renown Health is home to the first women’s heart center in Nevada. The Helaine Greenberg Women’s Heart Center gives women in our community the opportunity to receive exemplary care and education. “At the Women’s Heart Center, we are proud to offer the women of our community the treatments, therapies and education they need to fight this silent killer,” Dr. Danish Atwal. 1. The warning signs for heart disease present differently in women than they do in men. Both men and women may experience chest pain during a heart attack, but the similarity of symptoms ends there. Heart disease is especially problematic for women because more than half of women who die of heart disease have no symptoms at all. Women tend to have subtler symptoms that mimic symptoms associated with common, mild illnesses: Fatigue or weakness Pain, pressure or tightness in the center of the chest Pain that spreads to the upper body, neck or jaw Sweating, nausea or vomiting Sudden dizziness Shortness of breath Trouble sleeping 2. Women are often not treated with the same medications as men, even when they should be. Women are less likely to receive heart medication because their disease is often misdiagnosed or because they do not seek proper care. According to a study done by Harvard Health Publishing in 2020, “A general lack of awareness of women’s heart disease may lead to doctors or patients missing heart attacks in women or delaying their diagnosis. For example, while the frequency of cardiovascular disease tends to be lower in women before menopause than in men, the frequency dramatically increases after menopause, when it accounts for approximately one out of every three deaths in women. 3. Women who have hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes during pregnancy are at a higher risk of a heart attack in the future. Women who experienced complications related to developing high blood pressure or hypertension during pregnancy had a 63% increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease later in life, as stated by research funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. According to that same study, researchers found that early screenings and monitoring in four target areas – blood pressure, cholesterol levels, glucose levels and body mass index – could provide even more personalized targets to help delay or possibly prevent future cardiovascular events among women.
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What Every Parent Needs to Know About SIDS
Although the exact cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is unknown, there are steps parents and caregivers can take to reduce the risk. Here's what every parent needs to know. SIDS is the leading cause of death in the country in infants in their first year of life. However, the exact cause of SIDS still remains a mystery, though it is often attributed to unsafe sleeping practices. Karen Wagner, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Renown Health answers some of the most commonly asked SIDS questions. Protecting Babies from SIDS: Always place babies on their backs when putting them to sleep for naps and at night. Use a firm sleep surface, such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib, covered by a fitted sheet. Share your room – not your bed – with your baby. Your baby should not sleep in an adult bed, on a couch, or on a chair alone, with you, or with anyone else. Keep soft objects, such as pillows and loose bedding, out of your baby's sleep area. Do not smoke during pregnancy or around the baby; these are strong risk factors for SIDS. The risk of SIDS is even greater when a baby shares a bed with a smoker. To reduce risk, do not smoke during pregnancy, and do not smoke or allow smoking around your baby. Your SIDS Questions Answered: Who's most at risk? Three out of five SIDS victims are boys. African American and Native American infants are twice as prone to the syndrome. Other groups at increased risk include preemies, low-birthweight babies, and infants exposed to cigarette smoke. Is putting my baby down on their back really that important? It's vital. Back-sleeping increases a baby's access to fresh air and makes her less likely to get overheated (another factor linked to SIDS). I put my child to sleep on their back at night, but can I let this rule slide for a short nap? It's not worth the risk. Babies who normally sleep on their back are 18 times more likely to die of SIDS when placed down on their tummy for a snooze. Is side-sleeping safe? No. Studies show that putting a baby down on her side rather than on her back doubles the SIDS risk. It's easier for an infant to roll onto her tummy from her side than from her back. I'm worried about my baby getting cold. Is it safe to cover them with a blanket? Wait until their first birthday. Blankets, pillows, comforters and stuffed toys can hinder your child's breathing; even soft or improperly fitting mattresses can be dangerous. If you're worried that your little one may get chilly, swaddle them in a receiving blanket or use a sleep sack.