Candler Hospital Receives Recognition as Baby-Friendly Designated Birth Facility
Nov 3, 2017
Designation recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.
St. Joseph’s/Candler’s Candler Hospital, home of the Telfair BirthPlace, has received prestigious international recognition as a Baby-Friendly Designated birth facility. Candler Hospital received the recognition from Baby-Friendly USA, 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.
“Being a Baby Friendly Hospital means that mothers receive more education and support to best feed their newborns,” said Meredith Scaccia, Director of Women's and Children's Services at St. Joseph's/Candler. “We have expanded the number of lactation certified nurses at the bedside and invested in our staff to support mothers in the feeding goals for their babies. We have created a center of excellence with the help all of our staff, from our nurses and physicians to pharmacy and beyond.”
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. There are more than 20,000 designated Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers worldwide. Currently there are 467 active Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers in the United States.
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
or
Email info@babyfriendlyusa.org. Web: www.babyfriendlyusa.org.
About Candler Hospital, home of the Telfair BirthPlace:
Highly regarded as the premier health provider in the region, St. Joseph's/Candler combines high-impact technology, breakthrough clinical treatments and time-honored compassionate care to create "smart medicine"-an innovative approach to health and well-being.
Telfair BirthPlace features 25 mother/baby rooms and 14 labor and delivery rooms. Perioperative surgical teams using special operating suites and in-house dedicated obstetrical anesthesiologists are available at all times should a cesarean section be necessary. This center also features an antenatal testing area, a Level 2 special care nursery and an obstetrics triage area with 11 beds. At Telfair BirthPlace, our care is holistically focused on the physiologic and psychosocial needs of the patient and family and is delivered in a patient-focused environment by our self-directed care teams.