WVU Medicine-Princeton Community Hospital program aims to increase breastfeeding rate among WOC
PRINCETON, WV (WVNS) – WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital (PCH) is one of 100 hospitals across the United States and territories selected to participate in CHAMPS National, an initiative to reduce racial disparities in breastfeeding rates and maternal-child health practices, according to a press release from the hospital.
The CHAMPS (Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Practices) program entered into a 3-year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to enroll and work with the selected facilities.
PCH will receive free training and support from a diverse team of experts to safely implement the World Health Organization/UNICEF`s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
“Our Women`s Center at Princeton Community Hospital is honored to be accepted into this significant program,” stated PCH President and CEO Karen Bowling. “Our team is looking forward to implementing the program and working to increase breastfeeding rates with our patients and within the community.”
“We are very excited to be a part of the CHAMPS program,” said Jackie Mincy, director of the PCH Womens Center. “This community has very low breastfeeding rations, and I believe it’s because of the lack of education and resources to be successful.
“CHAMPS will prepare the Women`s Center staff with the proper education to ensure our mothers have all the pertinent information and resources at their disposal. Our goal is to go from 20 percent to 70 percent breastfeeding initiation rates in the coming months and year. The infants in our community deserve a good head start and breastfeeding is one of the best nutritional options,” Mincy said.
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A Steps Team, consisting of PCH employees, is responsible for guiding the initiative at the Women`s Center.
Members of the team include clinicians, a lactation specialist, educators, administrators, and others.
Stacie Allen, nurse and lactation specialist, said breastfeeding offers a number of health benefits for women who breastfeed, along with their babies.
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“For mom, it’s beneficial because it helps to decrease the risk of diabetes, heart disease, so many other benefits with it,” said Allen. “If baby gets sick, or anything like that, Mom will actually make antibodies for the baby, and Mom’s breastmilk is tailormade for her baby.”
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