6
GEORGETOWN HOSPITAL SYSTEM
Making it happen
The Georgetown Hospital System (GHS)
Foundation provided seedmoney for sta
education and training that was required
to earn the Baby-Friendly designation.
To learn more about GHS Foundation
initiatives, visit
www
.
georgetownhospital
system.org/foundation
.
B
aby
Who
doesn’t want to be baby-friendly?
e phrase means more than just cooing
over that cuddly bundle in your arms. Baby-
Friendly is a program sponsored by the World
Health Organization and UNICEF and is
designed to promote, protect and support
breastfeeding worldwide.
Waccamaw Community Hospital (WCH)
was awarded Baby-Friendly designation in May,
becoming the rst hospital in South Carolina to
earn the prestigious recognition and joining an
elite group of hospitals nationwide.
e Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)
assists hospitals in providing new moms with
the information and support they need to
successfully breastfeed their infants. It also
includes a recognition program for hospitals
and birthing centers that o er the highest level
of care for infant feeding.
e U.S. Surgeon General’s call to action to
support breastfeeding in 2011 has accelerated
implementation of the BFHI in maternity
care practices throughout the United States. It
has the support of
e Joint Commission, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
the Institute of Medicine, and rst lady
Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign.
According to a report by the surgeon
general, if 90 percent of U.S. families followed
the American Academy of Pediatrics’
recommendation to breastfeed exclusively for
the rst six months, the United States would save
$13 billion annually in medical and other costs.
“Support and education for breastfeeding
have enormous health and economic bene ts,”
