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 the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.