CONWAY, Ark. – Baptist Health-Conway is the first hospital in Faulkner County accredited as Baby-Friendly. The recognition as part of a global program that encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers offering an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.
“We are honored to be the only hospital in Faulkner County with accreditation through the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative,” said Tim Bowen, President of Baptist Health-Conway. “The designation is an affirmation of our commitment to providing unmatched care and support for mothers-to-be in the communities we serve.”
Baby-Friendly USA is the U.S. arm of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund.
More than 20,000 hospitals and birth centers worldwide have received the designation. Of that total, more than 550 – including Baptist Health’s other hospitals in Stuttgart, Arkadelphia and Little Rock – are actively Baby-Friendly.
Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this prestigious international award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the education, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.
Baptist Health-Conway regularly offers breastfeeding classes to expectant mothers. Taught by a board-certified lactation consultant, each discusses the many benefits to breastfeeding including getting started, basic techniques, problems and solutions and how partners can support both mom and baby. To learn more about upcoming classes, visit baptist-health.com.
Baptist Health is Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization with more than 200 points of access that include 11 hospitals; urgent care centers; a senior living community and over 100 primary and specialty care clinics in Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The system additionally offers a college with studies in nursing and allied health; a graduate residency program; and access to virtual care anytime, anywhere. Baptist Health, as the largest not-for-profit health care organization based in Arkansas, provides care to patients wherever they are through the support of approximately 11,000 employees, groundbreaking treatments, renowned physicians and community outreach programs. For more information about Baptist Health, visit baptist-health.com, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST or download the myBaptistHealth app. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
