COVINGTON – The Pediatric Inpatient Unit and Emergency Department at St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital recently announced its recertification as a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). Initially certified in 2020, the health system’s recertification reflects its dedication to providing outstanding care and support to the autism community.
To renew the credential, at least 80% of the departments’ patient-facing staff completed up-to-date training to better support, assist and care for every patient, especially autistic and sensory-sensitive individuals and their families.
“Earning recertification as a Certified Autism Center is a meaningful reflection of our commitment to access and to ensuring that every patient who walks through our doors can receive care that meets their unique needs,” said St. Tammany Health System President and CEO Joan Coffman, FACHE. “This designation speaks to the tireless work of our colleagues, who continue to build a culture of understanding, adaptability and compassion so all patients and families feel supported throughout their care journey.”
St. Tammany Health Foundation Executive Director Nicole Suhre added that the generosity of the Northshore community has been a crucial element in the health system’s work in the autism sphere.
“Our foundation has made a commitment to this community through our autism initiative. Renewal means everything when it comes to honoring that commitment,” Suhre said. “Through philanthropic support, our board, staff and most importantly our generous donors have made it a priority to foster a culture of awareness and acceptance for patients with autism at St. Tammany Health System. The dollars we raise fund new certifications and renewals, as well as all the additional components of care and resources that have made our organization’s efforts around neurodiversity so special.”
IBCCES autism and accessibility training transforms healthcare facilities from places that merely treat patients to centers that truly care for them. By proactively removing barriers to care, facilities are able to streamline operations, reach an underserved market, deepen trust and loyalty, and establish themselves as indispensable community institutions.
“We are excited to announce the renewal of St. Tammany Health System Pediatric Inpatient and Emergency Department as a Certified Autism Center,” said Myron Pincomb, IBCCES board chairman. “This renewal reflects their commitment to staying informed on best practices and resources, as well as their dedication to ensuring every autistic and sensory-sensitive patient who visits the department feels safe, supported and welcomed.”
As part of its work in the autism arena, STHS created sensory backpacks designed to support communication and meet the unique sensory needs of patients with autism when visiting health system facilities. Each bag includes sensory tools and communication aids, such as a dry-erase board, visual guides to support understanding and interaction during appointments, as well as countdown cards to provide reassurance that there is an end to an exam or procedure.
The health system has also developed “what to expect” videos to help patients with autism prepare for upcoming healthcare visits or procedures. These videos aim to provide a sense of preparedness, familiarity, comfort and guidance while improving understanding when visiting STHS locations.
In addition, STHS hosts annual autism awareness and acceptance activities throughout April, including the sale of a T-shirt to support autism initiatives, and, new in 2026, autism awareness socks.
For 25 years, IBCCES has been a leader in providing autism, sensory and neurodiversity training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact.
To further support inclusivity efforts, St. Tammany Health System Pediatric’s Inpatient and Emergency Department is featured on the IBCCES Accessibility App, which is free to download. This app provides individuals with a variety of disabilities real-time guidance on certified destinations, sensory-friendly spaces, and tailored recommendations. By connecting users to accessible locations worldwide, the app helps ensure seamless, enjoyable experiences for everyone.
IBCCES also provides access to resources such as AccessibilityCertified.com and AutismTravel.com, which are free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the site has met IBCCES certification requirements.
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About St. Tammany Health System
The heartbeat of its community, St. Tammany Health System cares for patients and families with excellence, compassion and teamwork. It is recognized for quality, safety and service excellence by CareChex, Leapfrog, Healthgrades, Hospital Compare, Women’s Choice and US News & World Report. St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 1 and Ochsner Health work together in partnership to improve the community’s health and quality of life. Together, west St. Tammany’s top two independent health leaders represent the most complete system of care, aligning behind the common goals of improving access, expanding specialty care and making care affordable. Under their agreement, each retains its autonomy; neither manages nor owns the other. Self-supporting, not-for-profit STHS is A+ rated by Fitch and receives no tax funding. More at StTammany.health.
About IBCCES
Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity and accessibility, IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be industry leaders and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For 25 years, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 125 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification.
In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality and entertainment organizations have completed an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare and workplace sectors.
IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, AutismTravel.com, and AccessibilityCertified.com – free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other.