Penn Highlands DuBois Receives Keystone 10 Designation

For The Spirit

DUBOIS — The Maternal and Child Center at Penn Highlands DuBois received the coveted Keystone 10 designation by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH).

The designation indicates that the Maternal and Child Center at Penn Highlands DuBois has implemented the 10 step-specific policies and procedures to meet the commonwealth’s goals for improving the breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity rates.

The PA DOH established the Keystone 10 initiative to engage birthing facilities throughout the commonwealth in the adoption and implementation of the 10 evidence-based steps to improve the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding for all Pennsylvania infants, mothers and families. The 10 steps include:

• Developing a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all healthcare staff.

• Training all healthcare staff in skills necessary to implement the policy.

• Informing all pregnant mothers about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.

• Helping mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.

• Showing mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.

• Giving infants no food or drink other than breast milk unless medically indicated.

• Practicing “roomingin” by allowing mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.

• Encouraging unrestricted breastfeeding.

• Giving no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.

• Fostering the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them upon discharge from the facility or clinic.

“Our staff have worked diligently to implement the 10 steps so that we could effectively meet our patients’ breastfeeding needs,” said Sharon Shattenberg, RN, BSN, Maternal Child Service Line Director at Penn Highlands DuBois.

“Our staff should be commended for their dedication to ensuring that they followed the precise standards for every patient — every time.”

Participation in the Keystone 10 initiative is also beneficial for facilities.

As related to breastfeeding, facilities will experience increased patient and family satisfaction, increased staff knowledge, expanded staff satisfaction and retention and enhanced image and reputation.

By completing all 10 steps, Penn Highlands DuBois is receiving full recognition on the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s website.

About Penn Highlands Healthcare:

Penn Highlands Healthcare was officially formed in 2011, and is comprised of eight hospitals, Penn Highlands Brookville, Penn Highlands Clearfield, Penn Highlands Connellsville, Penn Highlands DuBois, Penn Highlands Elk, Penn Highlands Huntingdon, Penn Highlands Mon Valley and Penn Highlands Tyron, that have served area communities for the past 100+ years.

Its business continuum also includes home care agencies, long-term care facilities and residential senior living communities, as well as durable medical equipment companies and retail pharmacies.

Penn Highlands Healthcare has evolved into an organization with 6,651 workers in 150+ locations throughout 39 counties in Northwestern/ Central and Southwestern Pennsylvania that include community medical buildings, outpatient facilities, surgery centers and physician practices.

The facilities have a total of 1,498 inpatient, skilled nursing and personal care beds.

The system, which has 827 physicians and 405 advanced practice providers on staff, offers a wide range of care and treatments with specialty units for cancer, cardiovascular/thoracic, neurosurgery, pulmonology, neonatal and high-risk pregnancy patients.

Being focused on what is important – patients and families – makes Penn Highlands Healthcare the best choice in the region.