Far West Local Health District’s Broken Hill Health Service has gained Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) accreditation for the sixth time.
The Baby Friendly Health Initiative is a globally recognised accreditation governed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and nationally managed by the Australian College of Midwives that strives to promote, protect and support breastfeeding and infant feeding best practices by fully implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding includes implementing evidence based care, educating staff and women about breastfeeding support, keeping mothers and babies together, facilitating skin-to-skin contact after birth and providing infant feeding support and care in the community.
Midwives celebrating Baby Friendly Health Initiative accreditation (from left) Bree Borlace, Chelsea Anderson, Andra Kloczko, Donna Ellis (back) , Claudia Adams, Helen Gordon (back), Whitney Harris, Emma Bradshaw (back) and Emma Kemp.
“This is incredibly exciting news for the Far West LHD and the Maternity Unit at Broken Hill Health Service,” said Chelsea Anderson, Clinical Midwife Consultant.
“This is the sixth time we have gained accreditation and continuous accreditation since 2007 and we are very pleased the hard work and commitment of all our staff involved has been recognised as being excellent,” she said.
“The mothers and their babies, and their families, are assured the care provided to them is of the highest quality,” said Ms Anderson.
Broken Hill Health Service underwent the Baby Friendly Health Initiative accreditation process in May 2023 which included interviews of health service staff, pregnant and postnatal women, and a careful review of Far West LHD policies, educational materials and breastfeeding and infant feeding data.
Julianne Germain, BFHI Program Coordinator at The Australian College of Midwives, said: “Broken Hill Health Service demonstrates the Gold Standard for breastfeeding, and it was a pleasure for the ACM BFHI assessment team to recognise this with recertification.”
The Baby Friendly Health Initiative accreditation certificate will soon be on display in the main hospital foyer and in the Maternity and Paediatric clinical areas to celebrate and promote this prestigious status of maternal and newborn health care in Far West LHD.
Baby Friendly Health Initiative accreditation is for three years.
Far West Local Health District (FWLHD) is encouraging all of us to stand together in solidarity during Ochre Ribbon Week (12-19 February 2025) to raise awareness and foster safer communities for Aboriginal people.
People are being urged to seek help if they notice changes in their health, with new data from the Cancer Institute NSW showing 235 people are projected to be diagnosed with cancer in Far West Local Health District in 2025.