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Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Hazleton has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Health as a Keystone 10 designated facility that supports breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact for newborns.
Supporting the initial breastfeeding efforts of a mother gives her the confidence she needs to provide her child with enhanced neurological, physical, and emotional development through their entire life.
In affiliation with Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, all LVH–Hazleton maternity staff completed specialized training and competencies led by Heather Garcia, RN, certified lactation counselor.
When breastfeeding is not appropriate, LVH– Hazleton provides information on safe formula preparation. Safe formula preparation includes letting newborns feed on demand with paced bottle feedings. Education regarding pacifier usage is provided only at the mother’s request. The key is providing education and guidance to every family we care for.
“I am so proud of our staff and administration for the support and the hard work in obtaining this designation,” says Mary “Marfy” Yanac, RN, BSN, Director of patient care services, Family Birth and Newborn Center at LVH–Hazleton. “Thank you to Pennsylvania Department of Health and American Academy of Pediatrics for providing the educational opportunity to improve patient care practices. As a team, the obstetric prenatal offices, inpatient staff and pediatric offices navigated the extensive training of Keystone 10 into our care, giving families that choose to breastfeed a good start.”
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Keystone 10 is a quality improvement breastfeeding initiative aimed at improving the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding for all Pennsylvania infants, mothers and families. The Department of Health has developed the Keystone 10 Initiative as a means to assist Pennsylvania’s birthing facilities in adopting and implementing evidence-based maternity care practices with the goal of improving individual facility and state level breastfeeding care and rates and ultimately improving the health of mothers and babies.
“It is important we provide support, education and guidance to all mothers in order to promote the health of our smallest patients,” Shawna Bernotas, RN.
Participating facilities focus on breastfeeding initiation, exclusive breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact and rooming-in, among other elements. Keystone 10 is based on similar initiatives in other states that have shown success in assisting birthing facilities in the promotion of breastfeeding through establishment of breastfeeding policy, implementation of procedure improvements and supporting families in making informed feeding decisions. This initiative is engaging Pennsylvania’s birthing facilities in local, regional and state level efforts to improve the initiation, duration and exclusivity rates of breastfeeding across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
“Knowledge is power,” says Noelle Tessitore, RNC-OB. “Our goal is empowering women to care for their infants in the best way possible. This is the gold standard of care and we are here to encourage it.”
For information on the Family Birth and Newborn Center at LVH–Hazleton, go to https://www.lvhn.org/locations/family-birth-and-newborn-center-lehigh-valley-hospital-hazleton#
For more information on Keystone 10, go to Keystone 10 Initiative (pa.gov)