DKH among top

in maternity care

PUTNAM — Day Kimball Hospital has scored among the top 10 percent of all participating maternity care facilities in Connecticut and across the U.S. in the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) latest Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey. The survey is administered every two years to monitor and evaluate hospital practices related to breastfeeding. About 82 percent of all facilities that provide maternity services in the U.S. participated in this latest survey, which was conducted in 2015 with the results being published by the CDC in late 2016.

The mPINC survey evaluates how effective birthing facilities are at implementing best practices that, when implemented together as a consistent system of care, results in better breastfeeding outcomes. These best practices help to support breastfeeding throughout seven key clinical care processes, from labor and delivery care to postpartum care, discharge care, staff training and the structural and organizational aspects of care delivery.

Day Kimball Hospital earned an overall quality score of 96 out of 100 on the survey, compared to an average score of 83 for all participating birthing facilities in Connecticut and an average score of 79 for all participating birthing facilities across the U.S. Day Kimball earned a perfect “100” score in four out of the seven measurement areas: labor and delivery care, postpartum feeding of breastfed infants, postpartum breastfeeding assistance and the structural and organizational aspects of care delivery, which examines how policies and staffing serve to support breastfeeding initiatives.

This achievement is the latest of several over the last year for Day Kimball Hospital’s birthing center.

In February, 2016 the hospital became one of just 329 in the nation to receive the Baby Friendly Hospital designation. This global initiative launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recognizes birthing facilities that meet stringent guidelines for offering mothers the information, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.

And in March, 2016 Day Kimball Hospital became one of the first hospitals to receive the Blue Distinction®+ for Maternity Care designation from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. This new designation recognizes hospitals that deliver high-quality, affordable maternity care safely and effectively while also achieving high marks for patient satisfaction and efficiency.