Jackson Hospital received a prestigious award from the World Health Organization and UNICEF. The hospital has been designated a ‘Baby-Friendly Birth Facility’. The hospital began its journey to receiving the award four years ago.
The ‘Baby-Friendly’ initiative was a global effort launched by the World Health Organization and UNICEF to enforce practices that promote and support breastfeeding for all mothers.
Jackson Hospital’s maternal unit embarked on the journey to become a ‘Baby-Friendly’ hospital in August of 2015. Their efforts paid off and were recognized with this international recognition.
The hospital’s maternal unit says that although they are a small department, they are doing
big things.
Melanie Sellers, Director of Women Services for Jackson Hospital, said, “This baby-friendly designation promotes and supports breast feeding safety for all infants. We started this journey in August, 2015. It took us four years to complete it. We had to develop a breast-feeding policy. We currently had a paragraph and now we now have a 14-page policy on breast feeding. We encourage breast feeding and we also offer breast feeding support groups. It’s ultimately what’s best the best practice for babies and that’s what our goal is at Jackson Hospital.
The hospital had to complete a ten-step program. They also received an evaluation from the World Health Organization. Sellers says the rigorous preparation took a lot of hard work.
“We did a lot of education on the staff’s part, a lot of education for our patients, and a lot of education in the community because we want to make sure that our patients are consistently getting the same information on breastfeeding,” Sellers said.
Nurses in the maternal department say this award is only the beginning. “We’re making lots of changes in our labor and delivery unit just to better fit our moms and give them the things they want. More natural deliveries, more intervention free deliveries and so for me, I’ve seen the nursing staff embrace that with open arms,” said Jordan Miles, a Certified Nurse/Mid-Wife for Jackson Hospital.
The hospital will be recognized as a ‘Baby friendly’ facility until 2024, then they will undergo a reevaluation.
