Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital Selected for National Baby-Friendly® Designation Program
HOUSTON (June27,
2018)
Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital has received prestigious international recognition as a Baby-Friendly® Designated birth facility by Baby-Friendly USA, Inc.
“This recognition is
an honor and great achievement by our team and it confirms our staff and
affiliated physicians’ dedication to providing mothers and infants with high
quality expert care,” said Kyle Price, CEO of Memorial Hermann Southeast
Hospital.
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 prestigious international award
recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information,
confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue
breastfeeding their babies.
“Baby-Friendly recognition is only given to facilities who
earn it by meeting challenging criteria that ultimately benefits mothers, their
newborns and our community,” said Nikole Keenan, BSN, RNC-MNN, NE-BC,
Director of Women's & Children's Services at Memorial Hermann Southeast. “Our team has
worked hard to meet the criteria in order to be champions for breastfeeding and
support our mothers and infants.”
There are more
than 20,000 designated Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers worldwide.
Currently there are 326 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.
Last year, Memorial
Hermann Southeast received the 2017 International Board Certified Lactation
Consultant® (IBCLC®) Care Award from the International Board of Lactation
Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE) and the International Lactation Consultant
Association® (ILCA). The global award recognizes facilities that hire certified
lactation consultants, promote and support breastfeeding, and have a lactation
program available to patients five days a week.