News

Northwest Texas Healthcare System continues its emphasis on improving the health of newborns and infants by renewing our designation as a Texas Ten Step Program facility from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The Texas Ten Step Program encourages breastfeeding as the preferred method of feeding for newborns and infants. Northwest joins a growing number of Texas birthing facilities that are supporting new mothers and their decision to breastfeed.

Based on the World Health Organization (WHO) / UNICEF’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, the program aims to assist birth facilities' support of breastfeeding mothers before, during and after delivery; encourages them to identify breastfeeding resources for the mother after she is discharged; and assists facilities in improving on national performance measures, such as the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Breastfeeding Report Card. The goal of the program is to have 82 percent of mothers to attempt breastfeeding.

“We are pleased with this recognition of our program and effort of our staff to provide guidance and support to new mothers in breast feeding,” said Douglas Coffey, Chief Nursing Officer at Northwest Texas Healthcare System. “This work contributes to the well-being of infants across the region.”