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 former 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/Former Family Birth Center manager.