Greeley and Fort Collins Banner Health facilities recognized for maternity care and breastfeeding support
By North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
Two Banner Health hospitals in Northern Colorado received statewide recognition for supporting breastfeeding families and improving maternity care.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) honored Banner Northern Colorado Medical Center in Greeley with the Colorado Hospital Breastfeeding Excellence Platinum Award. At the same time, Banner Fort Collins Medical Center received the Gold Award.
The awards were presented September 16 as part of the Colorado Hospital Lactation Collaborative, which recognized 36 hospitals statewide for implementing evidence-based maternity care practices designed to support breastfeeding and improve outcomes for mothers and infants.
The recognition highlights the hospitals’ efforts to establish policies that help new parents receive education, guidance, and support during the critical first days after childbirth.
“This recognition reflects the dedication of our nurses, lactation consultants, and physicians at both Banner Northern Colorado Medical Center and Banner Fort Collins Medical Center. They give new parents the time, support and confidence they need in those first days with their baby,” said Julia Reinink, Banner Health’s chief nursing officer in Northern Colorado.
“We’re proud to be part of the Colorado Hospital Lactation Collaborative and to help families across Northern Colorado get a strong, healthy start close to home,” Reinink added.
Supporting Families Beyond the Hospital
The Colorado Hospital Breastfeeding Excellence Awards recognize hospitals that adopt practices aligned with the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
Award levels range from Bronze to Diamond, depending on how many of the recommended practices a hospital has implemented.
These practices include policies intended to help families initiate breastfeeding, receive appropriate lactation support, and continue breastfeeding after leaving the hospital.
According to CDPHE, these practices can benefit families well beyond their hospital stay.
“Evidence-based hospital practices can make a meaningful difference not only in whether families start breastfeeding, but in how long they continue,” said Stacy Miller, breastfeeding specialist at CDPHE and facilitator of the Colorado Hospital Lactation Collaborative.
Miller said Colorado data indicate that parents who received at least five of the Ten Steps during their hospital stay continued breastfeeding approximately three months longer than those who did not.
Statewide Effort to Improve Maternity Care
The Colorado Hospital Lactation Collaborative provides free training, resources, and technical assistance to hospitals and birthing facilities working to strengthen breastfeeding support.
The collaborative also helps facilities pursue and maintain Baby-Friendly designation, an internationally recognized program promoting evidence-based maternity care.
During the September recognition event, CDPHE also acknowledged eight Colorado facilities that have received and maintained Baby-Friendly designation.
For Northern Colorado families, the awards recognize local maternity care teams’ efforts to provide consistent breastfeeding education and support during hospital stays.
Families interested in learning more about the statewide initiative can visit CDPHE’s Breastfeeding Essentials page.
Additional information about maternity services is available through Banner Northern Colorado Medical Center and Banner Fort Collins Medical Center.
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