Livingston HealthCare (LHC) has received prestigious international recognition
as a Baby-Friendly® designated birth facility. The designation comes
after two Baby-Friendly USA staff members completed a comprehensive on-site
survey at LHC in early February of this year. LHC is now one of just seven
hospitals in Montana certified as Baby-Friendly®.
Baby-Friendly USA, Inc is the U.S. authority for the implementation of
the Baby-Friendly 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 international award recognizes birth facilities that
offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed
to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.
"Preparing for this application and site visit really formalized the
long-standing culture of family-centered care that has made Livingston
Healthcare a safe and comfortable place to have babies,” says Denise
Helin, M.D., Chair of LHC’s Women’s Health Department. “We
value the role of breastfeeding in nurturing the newest members of our
community, and are proud to have met the highest standards of education
and support represented in the Baby-Friendly designation."
There are more than 20,000 designated Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth
centers worldwide, 414 of which are in the United States. The Baby-Friendly
designation lasts for five years; the award is maintained by continuing
to practice the Ten Steps, as demonstrated by quality processes.
“We are very proud to be a Baby-Friendly designated birthing center,”
says Mary Boyd, RN, LHC’s Shane Lalani Family Birth Center manager.
“We work diligently to provide education, support and care to our
families in order that they may reach their feeding and bonding goals.
While this was a hospital-wide effort, special thanks goes to our amazing
Family Birth Center team.”
Photo caption: A portion of Livingston HealthCare's Shane Lalani Family
Birth Center team who—along with their co-workers—worked diligently
to obtain Baby-Friendly® designation from Baby-Friendly USA, Inc.
From left to right: Mary Morris, RN; Maria Dow, RN; Ruth Kincaid, RN and
Mary Boyd, RN/Family Birth Center manager.