Excela Health Family Additions Maternity Center Recognized for Achieving Highest Standards

GREENSBURG, Pa., December 30, 2019 … The Family Additions Maternity Center at Excela Health is one of 20 birthing centers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and one of only two in the Southwest Region to have met the evidence-based quality measures to be recognized by the Department of Health with Keystone 10 honors.

The Keystone 10 Initiative began in March 2015 as a quality improvement
breastfeeding initiative that engages Pennsylvania birthing facilities in efforts to improve
the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding, and ultimately improve the
the health of mothers and babies.

To meet the standards successfully, Excela Health’s maternal-child care team
implemented the 10-step program that began with a written breastfeeding policy that is
routinely communicated to all healthcare staff and includes education for pregnant
mothers about the benefits and management of breastfeeding; help in initiating
breastfeeding within one hour of birth; the promotion of “rooming-in”, which keeps
mothers and their newborns together 24 hours a day; and post-discharge breastfeeding
support, among other measures.

The Family Additions Maternity Center has four nurses who are board-certified
lactation consultants. Beyond their care at the bedside, they also conduct breastfeeding
support groups within the Excela Health OB/GYN physician practice and offer one-on-one guidance to pregnant women as well as new mothers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists, among others, strongly recommend breastfeeding exclusively for six
months and continuing for at least a year with the introduction of other foods.
Breast milk contains antibodies that help the baby fight off viruses and bacteria.
Breastfeeding lowers a baby's risk of having asthma or allergies. Plus, babies who are
breastfed exclusively for the first six months, without any formula, have fewer ear
infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea. They also have fewer
hospitalizations and trips to the doctor.

To learn more about The Pennsylvania Breastfeeding Awareness and Support
For the program, visit www.health.state.pa.us/breastfeeding