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Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) recently achieved the highly prestigious international Baby-Friendly designation after a rigorous review process conducted by Baby-Friendly USA, the organization responsible for bestowing this certification in the United States.

"This designation is the culmination of a lot of hard work and determination across our organization, all with a goal of helping families get off to a good start," shared Jessica Valentine, MD, CFVH Hospitalist, OB Provider and Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). "We are proud to offer an environment that supports best practices shown to increase breastfeeding exclusivity and duration and are committed to give moms who choose to breastfeed the best chance for success."

Surveyors with Baby-Friendly USA, the accrediting body and national authority for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), completed an assessment of the hospital during a September.

"We are pleased to be recognized for the same level of dedication and excellence that is present in other hospitals," said CFVH CEO Dr. Greg Hanson. "This designation is one more assurance that Sanders County residents have regarding the quality of care present at Clark Fork Valley Hospital."

The assessment also commended the hospital for being involved with community partners, including WIC, Nutrition and Physical Activity (NAPA) Partnership Support, First Latch, volunteering at the county fairs, schools, creating a Virtual Baby Bistro Podcast and a Facebook page that focuses on breastfeeding support.

"We tried so many different things that weren't as successful as we had hoped and then through our Virtual Baby Bistro series with Live Facebook education, we hit it out of the park," said Cassie Craft, CNA and CLC. "It was definitely trial and error but we've found something that is really working and connecting us with families who have young children, are expecting or plan to have a baby one day.

In their comments, surveyors Susan Gaunt and Carol Suchy noted that CFVH "provides general education on the BFHI to all new employees at orientation. This includes 220 employees educated since the Baby-Friendly journey began. This facility has done a great job implementing all 10 Steps. It is also impressive that a facility of this size has the commitment to have five CLCs and an OB Coordinator that is also a CLC. It is impressive that a facility with such a low volume of obstetric patients is so committed to providing the highest quality of infant feeding practices to their families."

CFVH joins a growing list of more than 20,000 Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers throughout the world, 591 of which are in the United States. These facilities provide an environment that supports breastfeeding while respecting every woman's right to make the best decision for herself and her family.

In Montana, there are now 15 designated facilities. CFVH took it a step further by becoming the first Mother-Friendly facility supporting employees who are breastfeeding and need areas to pump or feed their babies during working hours. They have created lactation stations throughout the facility in addition to providing secure and safe storage options for nursing moms.

"The hospital experience strongly influences a mother's ability to start and continue breastfeeding," said Sara Nestor, RN, CFVH OB Coordinator and CLC. "We are committed to implementing evidence-based care through the Baby-Friendly designation to ensure that mothers delivering in our facility who intend to breastfeed, as well as those who cannot or decide not to breastfeed, are fully supported."

This distinguished honor demonstrates that CFVH is adhering to the highest standards of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. These standards are built on the "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding," a set of evidence-based practices recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for optimal infant feeding support in the precious first days of a newborn's life.

Clark Fork Valley Hospital Photo

BABY FRIENDLY - The hospital has five Certified Lactation Counselors on staff, including (from left) Rashell Jones, RN, Nestor, Kassie Marjerrison, RN, Dr. Jessica Valentine and Cassie Craft, CNA.

The positive health effects of breastfeeding are well documented and widely recognized by health authorities throughout the world. For example, the Surgeon General's 2011 Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding stated, "Breast milk is uniquely suited to the human infant's nutritional needs and is a live substance with unparalleled immunological and anti-inflammatory properties that protect against a host of illnesses and diseases for both mothers and children."

Nestor and Craft have been asked to speak at the Montana Breastfeeding Learning Collaborative in Billings in Spring 2020 due to their work on the Baby-Friendly Initiative at CFVH. They have also been invited to speak at the National Breastfeeding Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, in June.

"I think it's a huge honor that we are being recognized not only by our community and Baby Friendly," said Nestor, "but to see us be recognized by the Montana Breatfeeding Coalition on a national level is a testament to all the hard work we have put into becoming designated."

The hospital welcomed 30 babies in 2019. With the new Baby Friendly designation and the new standard of care, CFVH Community Relations Coordinator said the hospital hopes that number will increase.