Breastfeeding Exclusive March 2017 – EMPower Breastfeeding Initiative Update

The EMPower Initiative is actively engaged in assisting 93 hospitals achieve Baby-Friendly designation. The work supports a diverse mix of hospitals in 24 states – including a military hospital, several University hospitals, large urban hospitals, small community hospitals, and hospitals with no Baby-Friendly designations in their state. Our approach involves direct technical assistance by a breastfeeding and quality improvement coaching dyad.

We have launched into our final round of travel to facilities in order to offer comprehensive site visits before the project comes to a close later this year. Many facilities are in the final stage of the Baby-Friendly pathway, or are hoping to enter it soon. A handful of EMPower facilities have already become designated. We would like to congratulate Carolinas Healthcare Charlotte and Williamsport Regional Medical Center for recently achieving Baby-Friendly designation. Congratulations on a job well done! More information about EMPower facilities can be found online.

Of interest to those working in maternity care centers are the 2016 Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care Bench Mark (mPINC) Reports, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Click here for a short, informative video explaining what an mPINC Report is and how to use the data for improvement. Also, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released a new committee opinion: Approaches to Limit Intervention During Labor and Birth.