WILMINGTON — CMH Regional Health System announced the second recognition honoring its maternity center this year — a Maternity Care Best Practice Award from Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) as part of the Ohio First Steps for Healthy Babies program.
CMH, along with other maternity centers in Ohio, is taking steps to promote its support of successful breastfeeding. The Ohio First Steps for Healthy Babies is a voluntary breastfeeding designation program through the Ohio Hospital Association and Ohio Department of Health that recognizes maternity centers in Ohio for taking steps to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding in their organization.
In partnership with the Ohio Breastfeeding Alliance and the Ohio Lactation Consultants Association, the Ohio First Steps program is recognizing facilities with the Maternity Care Best Practice Award for 2015. This recognition indicates a facility’s commitment to best practices by choosing to not distribute infant formula or formula company-sponsored sample packs.
“It’s our hope that Ohio First Steps for Healthy Babies will prompt our leaders and employees to have thoughtful conversations in our hospital about the benefits of breastfeeding in order to educate patients and the community,” said Mandie Powell, Manager of Mother-Baby Care at CMH. “The support a new mother receives from hospital employees and leaders can impact her decision to breastfeed. Increasing the number of breastfed newborns can lead to a decrease in the likelihood for future health conditions for the child such as asthma, diabetes and obesity.”
Earlier this year, CMH also announced that it was recognized as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. Blue Distinction Centers+ are healthcare facilities recognized for their expertise and efficiency in delivering specialty care.
Rajiv Patel, MD, Medical Executive Committee Chief of Staff at CMH and OB/GYN, expressed how excited CMH was to receive notification of this honor.
“This kind of elite designation from Blue Cross Blue Shield highlights the great work that we’re doing here at CMH,” he said. “We have such an incredible team, and I’m so proud of their work in taking great care of our mothers and babies.”
Greg Nielsen, CEO of CMH, echoed Dr. Patel’s sentiments. “Recent recognitions for our mother-baby care team further confirm the great work that we’re doing here in honoring, supporting, and educating our patients. I’m really proud of our maternity team and how well they care for our new moms and their babies.”
