This designation is the culmination of a lot of hard work and determination across our organization and we are extremely proud to be recognized for the diligent work of our team members throughout the Baby-Friendly re-designation process.
Lisa Lamadriz MPH, RN, IBCLC, clinical research nurse for the department of obstetrics & gynecologyDartmouth Health’s Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) has once again achieved the international Baby-Friendly designation from Baby-Friendly USA after a rigorous review process. DHMC has held this designation for the past 10 years, with every care unit that a family interfaces with protecting, promoting and supporting evidence-based infant feeding practices, from the Birthing Pavilion, OBGYN clinic, Intensive Care Nursery, pediatric units and the emergency department. This is a full hospital-wide effort to provide optimal care for new families.
This honor demonstrates that DHMC is adhering to the highest standards of care for families 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 and the United Nations Children's Fund for optimal infant feeding support in the precious first days of a newborn’s life. Cheshire Medical Center, another member of Dartmouth Health, also holds this designation.
“The hospital experience strongly influences a birthing person’s ability to start and continue breastfeeding/chestfeeding,” said Lisa Lamadriz MPH, RN, IBCLC, clinical research nurse for the department of obstetrics & gynecology who led the re-designation process. “This designation is the culmination of a lot of hard work and determination across our organization and we are extremely proud to be recognized for the diligent work of our team members throughout the Baby-Friendly re-designation process, including the team of International Board Certified Consultants (IBCLCs), nurses, providers and support staff, all with the goal of helping families get off to a good start. We are proud to offer an environment that supports best practices shown to increase breastfeeding/chestfeeding exclusivity and duration and are committed to provide birthing persons who choose to breastfeed/chestfeed the best chance for success; and education for those families who choose to provide formula with safe handling, storage and feeding practices.”
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.