Geary Community Hospital announced a new achievement today: receiving the High 5 status for the Martha K. Hoover Women’s Health Center.

The achievement was reached through a combined effort of the Geary Community Hospital Women’s Center and Delivering Change: Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies in order to implement maternity care procedures based on the proven health benefits associated with breastfeeding.

“We have several other healthy living initiatives already established and the High 5 initiative is one in addition to it…and we’re happy to be a part of that,” said Joe Stratton, Geary Community Hospital CEO.

Gwen Whittit, Program Coordinator for High 5 for Mom & Baby Program,  awarded Women’s Center Manager Melissa Wells with the plaque in honor of their achievement at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

“Kansas High 5 for Mom & Baby  has provided education to 58 of the 69 maternity care hospitals in the state of Kansas,” Whittit continued, “with the hard work of the entire staff here and your community partners at Geary Community Hospital, change has been made that will support moms and babies in the community with lifelong health benefits.”

Wells accepted the honor and noted that this is something that has been taking place for a few years at the Women’s Center and Geary Community Hospital.

 

“We began the process towards becoming a High 5 for Mom & Baby hospital in 2012. Fortunately, we were already doing most of the High 5 practices, but we needed to add official guidelines to establish them as our standard of care….We are thrilled to have made all of the benchmarks and have seen dramatic improvements in our moms and our babies,” said Wells.

Delivering Change:  Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program coordinator Jill-Elizabeth Nelson remarked, “Since it’s inception in 2012 Delivering Change:  Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies has had an incredibly strong collaborative relationship with Geary Community Hospital. Utilizing federal “Healthy Start” funding, Delivering Change  partnered with the Breastfeeding Coalition to assist Geary Community Hospital and the Martha K. Hoover Women’s Center in achieving the High 5 for Mom & Baby  designation.”

The High 5 program is initiated, funded, and provided at no charge to Kansas hospitals by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.  The Hutchinson based health fund developed High 5 for Mom & Baby in conjunction with the Kansas Breastfeeding Workgroup.