Mother Baby Friendly Health Facility Initiative (20hrs)

Background

Globally children die and suffer from long term effects of poor infant feeding practices.  Because of strong misconceptions, promotion of best practices for the benefit of both the mother and her infant has been a challenge nationwide.  Babies deserve the best, and a program promoting these best practices instituted by the Department of Health in the healthcare institution is needed to ensure that babies get the best.  The Department of Health has established steps and guidelines to ensure that these practices are in place in the healthcare institutions, however the implementation has been a constant challenge, as such the organization of a Mother- Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Committee is vital to the healthcare institution’s success in its drive to implement these practices.  The MBFHI committee will address the challenges and concerns related to the BFHI immediately to ensure the consistent observance of such best practices.

Disclosure

This course has no conflict of interest with any proprietary entity producing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients.

This course declares no financial relationships with the manufacturer(s) of any commercial product(s) and/or provider(s) of commercial services discussed.

Purpose

The purpose of this course is to provide knowledge for employees for the implementation of MBFHFI guidelines and the policies instituted by the hospital; to equip employees with tips and tools in maternal care and lactation management; to train employees in handling and supporting pregnant and lactating mothers, to assist mothers with newborn care; to advocate breastfeeding and encourage the support of the family for a successful breastfeeding journey.

As Health Workers and Breastfeeding Advocates:

This orientation will support efforts in developing and improving capacities, skills and knowledge in the field of lactation and breastfeeding.

Provide health workers and health volunteers such as doctors, nurses, midwives, nutritionists, barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars and peer counselors, the best knowledge necessary for you to be able to support, promote and protect breastfeeding.

Chairman and Members of the MBFHI Committee:

The Chairman of the MBFHI shall be a physician appointed by the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center’s Administrative Committee and will assume the responsibility to ensure the implementation of the MBFHI guidelines in the healthcare institution with the help of the organized MBFHI Committee of the hospital.

The Members of the MBFHI Committee are also appointed by the Administrative Council of the hospital by virtue of the positions of key departments directly involved in the implantation of the Mother-Baby friendly Hospital Initiatives guidelines namely:
 -The Senior Vice President for Medical Administration
 -An appointed representative physician from the Pediatric Department
 -The head of the Hospital’s NICU department
 -The head of the Hospital’s Pedia Department
 -The head of the Hospital’s OB-Gyne Department
 -The Nursing Service Vice President
 -The Nursing Service Clinical Operations Officer
 -The Maternity Unit Nurse Supervisor
 -The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse Supervisor
 -The Operating Room Nurse Supervisor
 -The Senior Vice President for Finance
 -The Hospital’s Head Health Educator
 -The Hospital’s Dietitian
 -The head of the Hospital’s Ancillary Services
 -The Training Officer
 -Trained lactation management trainors
 -Ex Oficio:  The President of the Hospital

Roles and Responsibilities of the Chairman and the Members of the MBFHI Committee:

Chairman of the MBFHI Committee:
 
 A.1.  The chairman of the MBFHI Committee shall be responsible to ensure that all the members of the MBFHI committee will perform their individual tasks and responsibilities in the implementation of the instituted guidelines.
 A.2. He/she shall ensure that the committee meets as per schedules for progress reporting and deliberation of implementation challenges and possible solutions for the identified problems and/or challenges.
 A.3. He/she shall oversee and ensure the implementation of the steps to successful MBFHI guidelines implementation.

The Members of the MBFHI Committee expected to:
 
 B.1   Attend all the regular scheduled and unscheduled meetings
 B.2.  They are responsible in ensuring that all employees are knowledgeable and are trained to implement the MBFHI guidelines and the policies instituted by the hospital.
 B.3.  They are responsible for formulating the action plans and implementing the action plans
 B.4.  They are responsible in ensuring that all staff are implementing the guidelines entailed in the
 policies regarding the MBFHI.
 B.5.  They are responsible in ensuring that the guidelines are closely implemented.
 B.6.   They are also expected to facilitate and report challenges and successes in the MBFHI implementation.
 B.7.  They are responsible in the formulation of a support group and the recruitment of trustworthy support group members to ensure that breastfeeding mothers are supported after discharge from the hospital.