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Colorado Celebrate 6 Award of Breastfeeding Excellence

Evidence-based lactation policies and practices for birthing facilities

2023 Celebrate 6 Award of Breastfeeding Excellence badge

The Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative awards hospitals for having a written policy demonstrating implementation of at least six of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative’s (BFHI) evidence-based Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

In Colorado, over 90% of parents choose to start breastfeeding. Research shows that by implementing at least six of the Ten Steps, the birthing facility will better support the vast majority of Colorado parents to not only start breastfeeding, but also enable them to breastfeed longer, resulting in more long-term health benefits to both parent and child.

Awards were provided at the Colorado Hospital Breastfeeding Summit in 2020 and again at the Colorado Hospital Recognition Event in 2023.

Award Eligibility & Assistance

In order to be eligible for the award, a facility must provide labor and delivery care and have written policy/policies that demonstrate your facility is practicing at least six of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

The facility must verify in the written policy/policies at least six of the following (for healthy full-term births):

  • Have a written infant feeding policy that includes lactation/breastfeeding support that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
  • Train all health care staff in the skills and knowledge necessary to support patients choosing to breastfeed.
  • Staff informs all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
  • Staff facilitates immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact between patients and their infants and supports parents to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth.
  • Staff show patients how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.
  • The infant is fed only human milk in the hospital. Staff does not provide breastfed newborns any food or fluids other than human milk, unless medically indicated.
  • Facility practices rooming in – allow parents and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
  • Staff encourages breastfeeding on demand and supports parents to recognize and respond to their infants’ early feeding cues.
  • Counsel hospital staff on the use and risks of feeding with bottles, artificial nipples, teats, and pacifiers.
  • Coordinate discharge so that families have timely access to ongoing lactation support and care by providing each family a telephone number and/or support group resources for help after discharge.
  • Facility prohibits the distribution of hospital gift packs with infant formula samples, coupons or promotional materials to families.

Assistance

If you would like for your facility’s policies to be reviewed for eligibility or you feel your facility does not have adequate policies, you may submit all maternity care policies for review and the Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative (CBFHC) can help you adapt and create policies to make your facility eligible for a future award. For questions or support, email CBFHC.

Additional Awards & Programs

If you are not already a member, your facility is eligible to join the Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative, which can provide you with technical and financial assistance for your hospital to achieve prestigious Baby-Friendly designation. Any facility can join, regardless if the hospital is pursuing Baby-Friendly designation or not. Members receive free technical assistance, resources and support.

Consider joining the Colorado Healthy Hospital Compact, a statewide collaboration of hospitals that share a mission to protect and promote the health of hospital patients and their families, visitors, and staff by implementing measures designed to improve the quality of their nutrition environments through the promotion of breastfeeding and healthier food and beverage options.

List of Celebrate 6 Awardees

2023 Awardees

41 of 55 facilities with birthing services in the state received the award (~74%)

  • Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center
  • Aspen Valley Hospital*
  • Avista Adventist Hospital*
  • Banner Fort Collins Medical Center
  • Banner North Colorado Medical Center - New awardee
  • Boulder Community Health*
  • Community Hospital*
  • Delta Health*
  • Denver Health* - New awardee
  • Estes Park Health*
  • Evans Army Community Hospital*
  • Good Samaritan Medical Center*
  • Gunnison Valley Health*
  • Littleton Adventist Hospital*
  • Lutheran Medical Center*
  • Medical Center of Aurora
  • Medical Center of the Rockies - New awardee
  • Mercy Regional Medical Center*
  • Montrose Regional Health
  • North Suburban Medical Center
  • Parker Adventist Hospital*
  • Platte Valley Medical Center*
  • Poudre Valley Hospital - New awardee
  • Presbyterian/St. Lukes Medical Center - New awardee
  • Rose Medical Center
  • San Luis Valley Health
  • St. Anthony Summit Hospital
  • St. Elizabeth Hospital*
  • St. Francis Medical Center*
  • St. Joseph Hospital*
  • St. Mary’s Medical Center*
  • Sterling Regional Medical Center
  • UCHealth Highlands Ranch - New awardee
  • UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital*
  • UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central*
  • UCHealth Memorial Hospital North*
  • University of Colorado Hospital*
  • Vail Health Hospital
  • Valley View Hospital*
  • Wray Community District Hospital*
  • Yampa Valley Medical Center - New awardee

*Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative Member Facility

2020 Awardees

43 of 58 facilities with birthing services in the state received the award (~74%)

  • Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center
  • Aspen Valley Hospital*
  • Avista Adventist Hospital*
  • Banner Fort Collins Medical Center
  • Boulder Community Health*
  • Community Hospital*
  • Delta Health*
  • Estes Park Health*
  • Evans Army Community Hospital*
  • Good Samaritan Medical Center*
  • Gunnison Valley Health*
  • Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital
  • Littleton Adventist Hospital*
  • Longmont United Hospital
  • Lutheran Medical Center*
  • McKee Medical Center*
  • Medical Center of Aurora
  • Medical Center of Aurora South
  • Mercy Regional Medical Center*
  • Montrose Regional Health
  • North Suburban Medical Center
  • Parker Adventist Hospital*
  • Platte Valley Medical Center*
  • Prowers Medical Center
  • Rose Medical Center
  • San Luis Valley Health
  • Sky Ridge Medical Center
  • St. Anthony North Medical Center
  • St. Anthony Summit Medical Center
  • St. Elizabeth Hospital*
  • St. Francis Medical Center*
  • St. Joseph Hospital*
  • St. Mary’s Medical Center*
  • St. Thomas More Hospital
  • Sterling Regional Medical Center
  • Swedish Medical Center
  • UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital*
  • UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central*
  • UCHealth Memorial Hospital North*
  • University of Colorado Hospital*
  • Vail Health Hospital
  • Valley View Hospital*
  • Wray Community District Hospital*

*Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative Member Facility

The Celebrate 6 Award of Breastfeeding Excellence is an expansion of the Colorado Can Do 5!, a CDPHE award program for hospitals implementing five of the Ten Steps from 2008-2013.

Additional Resources

Hospital and health care providers

Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative