All 21 Intermountain Health hospitals in Utah with labor and delivery departments have received a five-star rating for being breastfeeding-friendly facilities from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services by completing all ten steps of the department’s ‘Stepping Up for Utah Babies’ program.
The state health program recognizes Utah hospitals that have taken steps to promote, protect, educate, and encourage breastfeeding in their facilities.
Earning a five-star rating typically takes years. The ten steps of the ‘Stepping Up for Utah Babies’ program are evidence-based maternity care practices that demonstrate optimal support of breastfeeding, as well as improved care experiences and outcomes for non-breastfeeding moms and families.
The list of five-star breastfeeding friendly hospitals includes 21 Intermountain hospitals in Utah: Alta View in Sandy, American Fork, Bear River Valley in Tremonton, Cedar City, Delta Community, Fillmore Community, Garfield Memorial in Panguitch, Heber Valley, Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Layton, LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Logan Regional, McKay-Dee in Ogden, Orem Community, Park City, Riverton, Sanpete Valley in Mt. Pleasant, Sevier Valley in Richfield, Spanish Fork, St. George Regional and Utah Valley in Provo. Interested individuals can find their local hospital by going to https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/search-results/?locationtype=hospital.
Earning the five-star breastfeeding-friendly rating from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, signifies Intermountain Health caregivers are both competent and comfortable providing evidence-based education and valuable tools and resources to help families be successful in feeding their infants.
The nurse managers at all Intermountain hospitals partner together and share best practices with each other and implement ideas to help increase breastfeeding support for new moms.
These best practices include: encouraging moms to hold their new baby skin-to-skin right after delivery; allowing moms and babies to remain together 24 hours-a-day in the hospital; training staff to support all new moms in their feeding choices; encouraging breastfeeding on demand; teaching infant feeding cues; and reducing formula supplementation at the hospital unless medically indicated. This work has positively impacted the lives of countless families throughout Utah.
After moms go home with their baby, they often have additional breastfeeding questions. They can make an appointment for further breastfeeding education either in a dedicated outpatient lactation consultation room at an Intermountain hospital or through local community resources.
Outpatient lactation services at various Intermountain hospitals in Utah are available for women, regardless of where they delivered their baby.
Breastfeeding mothers needing additional help after going home from the hospital can refer to the community resource list to schedule a visit with a certified lactation consultant nearby or call their baby’s doctor or call Intermountain at 801-387-4010.
Research has found that breast milk is the best food for infants and breastfeeding is associated with decreased risk for infant morbidity and mortality. It’s also been shown that breastfeeding moms have lower incidences of breast and ovarian cancer, Type 2 diabetes and postpartum depression. More information can be found on the state health program website.
The Utah program is patterned after the international Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative started by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund in the 1990s.
To find out more about Intermountain’s virtual breastfeeding course, click here.
For a complete list of Utah hospitals that have earned the five-star, breastfeeding-friendly rating, visit https://mihp.utah.gov/stepping-up-for-utah-babies
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a not-for-profit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.
