EMPower Best Practices
Who We Are
EMPower Best Practices is an exciting new initiative that builds on two previous EMPower projects – EMPower Breastfeeding and EMPower Training. Similar to the earlier projects, EMPower Best Practices is a hospital-based quality improvement project aimed at improving evidence-based maternity care practices supportive of optimal infant nutrition through skills-based competency training and ongoing technical assistance.
The initiative is implemented by Abt Associates in partnership with the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute (CGBI) and Population Health Improvement Partners (PHIP).
EMPower Best Practices is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO).
What We Do
With this new initiative, EMPower Best Practices will provide training materials, tools and resources to help each participating hospital build a tailored, sustainable training plan. We will also support the implementation of that plan through ongoing technical assistance and opportunities for peer-to-peer learning.
Our goal is that through the skills-based competency training and ongoing technical assistance, hospital staff will be able to better ensure that maternity care policies and practices are implemented safely and equitably, as intended, for each mother and her infant.
Enrollment
The EMPower Best Practices program is no longer accepting enrollment forms.
Informational Webinars
Please watch this Orientation Webinar for an overview of the EMPower Best Practices initiative and information on the upcoming project timelines. Additionally, you can view our Welcome Packet for detailed information about participation.
Who is Eligible?
All U.S. based hospitals are eligible to participate in EMPower Best Practices.
The hospitals who are eligible for EMPower Best Practices include:
- Hospitals currently pursuing Baby-Friendly USA (BFUSA) designation and for whom this initiative may help to satisfy necessary training requirements,
- Hospitals already BFUSA designated and are looking to satisfy training requirements for re-designation or other purposes, OR
- Hospitals not planning to pursue or undecided on pursuing BFUSA designation and have a strong focus on providing the best care for all mothers and their infants.
Additionally, hospitals participating in state recognition programs are encouraged to enroll.
While all hospitals are eligible, this project has a particular interest in providing training and technical assistance to hospital staff that serve a large proportion of racial/ethnic populations and/or Medicaid recipients as traditionally underserved populations.
What are some of the benefits to participation?
By enrolling in EMPower Best Practices, hospital staff will receive skills-based competency training on maternity care practices designed to align with content required by the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) Guidelines and Criteria. More specifically, hospitals participating in this initiative will receive:
- All materials, tools, and resources needed to complete the skills-based competency training curriculum,
- Assistance in developing and implementing a tailored, sustainable training plan,
- Individualized coaching and technical support by both a breastfeeding and a quality improvement coach assigned to your hospital,
- Peer-to-peer knowledge sharing opportunities,
- Stipend for each hospital to offset training time and resources (up to $2,000 per hospital),
- Ability to track progress on key measures of success, AND
- Certificate of completion and press release template to publicize successes.
These resources will be provided to participating hospitals at no cost.
Bentonville’s culture consists of the charming characteristics of a Southern city and small town, combined with influences from the Northwest Arkansas metropolitan area and a status as a global business hub. Bentonville is located in one of the fastest growing regions in the country, and in the past 20 years, it has transformed from a small town to a bustling center of commerce and entrepreneurialism. According to a recent US Census survey, Bentonville and surrounding communities in Benton County are second in growth for Arkansas and among the 100 fastest-growing counties in the United States. While the Northwest Arkansas economy was historically based upon agriculture and poultry, in recent decades, there has been rapid growth and diversification of its economy and culture due to the three Fortune 500 companies based in the area: Walmart, Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt. Both economic growth and wide cultural diversity can be attributed to over 1,250 Walmart suppliers that have established sales offices in the region. These satellite offices for companies of almost every industry mean that a large number of transplants from around the United States and the world can be found in Bentonville.
Within this evolving environment, Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville remains committed to providing exceptional care to the community. To achieve their goals to improve maternal-neonatal health and wellness, this comprehensive care facility applied and was accepted into the EMPower Breastfeeding initiative while in the D1 Discovery Phase of Baby-Friendly USA’s 4-D Pathway. The hospital has gained support in adopting the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding as they have progressed along the journey to Baby-Friendly designation. Since joining the EMPower initiative, Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville has benefitted from the individualized coaching and technical assistance offered, in areas such as adherence to the Ten Steps. One of their most noteworthy accomplishments involves Step 4, helping mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth. By honoring the golden hour in implementation of skin-to-skin, the number of infants that were once “slow to transition” and required “extended monitoring” and “oxygen support” has significantly decreased to the point that it is rare to see an infant fit into those categories! The facility’s EMPower Breastfeeding Coach, Julia Bourg, remarked, “This team worked hard to ensure that foundational steps were in place as they worked towards implementation of other practice changes.”
This facility is close to Baby-Friendly USA designation! They recently had their site visit assessment from the Baby-Friendly representatives and are awaiting the results. Allison Godwin, the facility’s Quality Improvement Coach, noted, “What we appreciated most about this team is their attention to creating sustainable change. They really wanted to make sure that their staff and their organizational culture supported these efforts.” We applaud your wonderful work, Bentonville!
