LMH Health has earned a High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier recognition, a program offered by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund to healthcare organisations committed to infant and maternal health.
High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier provides resources and a framework to help Kansas hospitals and birthing centres improve health outcomes for breastfeeding women and their infants. To obtain this recognition, each facility is asked to complete a voluntary and self-reported evaluation and to follow all ten of the evidence-based practices:
- Have a written maternity care and infant feeding policy that addresses all ten High 5 for Mom & Baby practices supporting breastfeeding
- Maintain staff competency in lactation support
- Ensure all pregnant women receive information and instruction on breastfeeding
- Assure immediately and sustained skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby after birth
- Ensure all families receive individualised infant feeding counselling
- Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk unless medically indicated
- Practice “rooming in” – allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day
- Encourage families to feed their babies when the baby exhibits feeding cues, regardless of feeding methods
- Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants
- Provide mothers options for breastfeeding support in the community (such as a telephone number, walk-in clinic information, support groups, etc.) upon discharge
These steps are designed to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates in the state of Kansas. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 60% of mothers stopped breastfeeding sooner than they planned. Some factors that influence how long or if a baby is breastfed include hospital practices, education and encouragement, policies or support in the workplace and access to community support.
Along with the recognition of being named a High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier facility, LMH Health also receives on-going education and training opportunities, support and resources through a community of delivery centers, and scholarship opportunities to further staff education.
“LMH Health Family Birth Center was proud to be recognised as the first High 5 for Mom & Baby in Kansas several years ago, and we are now happy to share that we have received additional recognition as a High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier Hospital,” said Lori Tillema, Maternal Child Services director. “This designation was based upon the ongoing work our team has done year after year to expand practices that promote health and support our families.”
For more information on the High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier maternal health prgram, visit the website at https://www.high5kansas.org/.
About LMH Health
At LMH Health, formerly Lawrence Memorial Hospital, our purpose is to be a partner for lifelong health. We were founded 100 years ago on the principle that everyone in our community is entitled to high-quality healthcare. Our health system includes a 174-bed not-for-profit hospital with the latest diagnostic and surgical technology, the new LMH Health West Campus facility, and 28 primary and speciality care clinics. Supported by more than 1,800 associates and 380 providers, we are dedicated to the health and wellness of our communities and it shows in our physician expertise, innovative care and high standards of clinical excellence.
We are proud of our work. And we regularly earn national and regional honours for our high-quality service, including:
- The Joint Commission recognised LMH Health with Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Center, and with Certifications for Chest Pain and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). We’re also one of only two health systems in Kansas to receive Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Knee Replacement.
- LMH Health is consistently recognised for leading the way in technological integration, being named as one of Digital Health’s Most Wired programs by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.
- LMH Health was named a Blue Cross/Blue Shield Distinction Center+ for maternity care in 2018 and again in 2020. We also earned the High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier recognition from the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund in 2020.
- The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has recognised LMH Health with the Get With the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award since 2018 and named us to the Target: Stroke Honor Roll in 2020.
- Becker’s Hospital Review has named LMH Health to its 100 Great Community Hospitals list every year since 2013.
