Albany, NY – Baby-Friendly USA, announces that Delta Health has received prestigious international recognition as a Baby-Friendly Designated birth facility. “Delta Health Administration is very proud of the efforts of the OB team to achieve this prestigious designation as a Baby-Friendly hospital,” stated Chief Clinical Officer Jody Roeber, FNP, MSN, RN, “Becoming a Baby Friendly facility is a comprehensive, detailed and thorough journey toward excellence in providing optimal infant feeding outcomes and mother – baby bonding. Our OB department, Stork’s Landing, offers family-centered care by respecting every family’s choice about their birth experience. The team of professionals works to provide consistent and accurate
information so that mothers can make informed choices for the health of their newborn.
Only a small percentage of hospitals have achieved this designation, we are now one of 12 facilities to achieve this designation in Colorado, Roeber said. There are more than 20,000 designated Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers worldwide. Currently there are 452 active Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers in
the United States. The “Baby-Friendly” designation is given after a rigorous on-site survey is completed. The award is maintained by continuing to practice the Ten Steps as demonstrated by quality processes.
Carol Swingle, RN, BSN, OB Coordinator/Manager of Stork’s Landing at Delta Health commented, “It has been a big undertaking but well worth it. The journey to attain Baby-Friendly designation took on many aspects – support from leadership for the expenses and required training for staff and providers; clinic staff with patient
education; and OB staff in following the evidence-based methodologies and putting into practice. Our community was highly receptive to the change in practices of promoting breastfeeding as well as parents’ choice in feeding methods and the support of bonding by rooming-in and skin to skin practices. I want to thank the team for all of their efforts from tracking education, applying principles, to performing audits required to prove our compliance,” Swingle added.
Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. 125 Wolf Road, Suite 402. Albany, NY 12205 www.babyfriendlyusa.org
Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the BabyFriendly Hospital Initiative (“BFHI”), a global program sponsored by the World Health
Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this prestigious international award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.
Further information about the U.S. Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative may be obtained by contacting:
Baby-Friendly USA, Inc,
125 Wolf Road, Suite 402
Albany, NY 12205
Phone: 518-621-7982 Fax: 518-621-7983
or
Email [email protected]. Web: www.babyfriendlyusa.org.
