Lining the halls of William Beaumont Army Medical Center's Labor and Delivery ward are posters, each titled with a step aimed toward encouraging breastfeeding as part of the mother-baby dyad.
The posters are part of the ward's focus of educating expecting mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding. The unit's efforts toward educating, training and making significant changes led to WBAMC being designated a Texas Ten Step Program facility during a ceremony, Nov. 29.
"This designation represents our commitment to our patients to provide them with the lactation support and assistance they need and deserve in addition to the medical support we already offer," said Ofelia O'Donnell, performance improvement coordinator, L&D. "Since 2015, WBAMC made changes needed in documenting and educating staff members on the 10 steps."
Through education, staff members have become more knowledgeable and competent to discuss breastfeeding benefits and risks with every expecting parent that walks through the ward's doors.
The Texas Ten Step Program was developed by the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Hospital Association to outline steps toward increasing breastfeeding education within hospital staff and committing to breastfeeding support through policy.
The program is outlined by ten steps for organizations to complete in order to be designated. Steps include developing and implementing a breastfeeding policy, staff training, informing parents on benefits and management of breastfeeding, initiate skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, providing lactation support, stressing 'breast is best' attitude, rooming in, encourage feeding on cue, no artificial nipples such as pacifiers, and finally providing continued support and resources for mothers.
"Significant changes we have made include increased training for nurses, including eight being sent to a Certified Lactation Course," said O'Donnell. "We are also bringing in two full-time lactation consultants in our department to provide our patients with their lactation needs."
O'Donnell also mentioned that education and training is ongoing to better prepare staff to assist patients.
While educating both staff and patients has played a pivotal role in WBAMC's designation as a Texas Ten Step Facility, WBAMC also ensures exceptional medical care is available to patients. Around the clock, the hospital maintains a dedicated anesthesia provider, obstetrician, certified nurse midwife, and a pediatrician in house 24/7.
The Texas Ten Step program is based on the World Health Organization (WHO)/ United Nations Children's Fund's (UNICEF) ten steps to successful breastfeeding program, as part of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative which encourages and recognizes hospitals that offer an optimal level of care for infant-feeding. The 4-D pathway which leads to the Baby-Friendly designation consists of four phases including discovery, development, dissemination and designation. Currently WBAMC is in the final phase toward a Baby-Friendly designation.
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