Florida Quest for Quality Maternity Care Award

The Foundation For Breastfeeding in Collaboration with Florida Breastfeeding Coalition have designed the Quest for Quality Maternity Care Award program to reward birthing facilities in the state of Florida for improving hospital maternity care and infant feeding practices based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.”

This reward includes the receipt of up to four stars, with a fifth star being reserved for those hospitals that participate in and receive the WHO/UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital designation.

Benefits of participating in this voluntary program Include: Improving the health of the mother-baby dyad, increased patient satisfaction with care; meeting the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding; Meeting the Healthy People 2020 Goal for exclusive breastfeeding in hospital; recognition as a facility that provides evidence-based maternity care; and ensures the continuation of quality improvement efforts in breastfeeding.

Each hospital that participates in the Quest for Quality Maternity Care Award program is awarded one star for completion of each phase that corresponds with the Baby Friendly 4-D Pathway of quality improvement requirements.

It is well documented that the range of breastfeeding benefits are extensive, such as an enhanced immune system and a lower incidence of bacterial infection, diarrhea, respiratory and urinary tract infection and otitis media. Additionally, studies show that additional protective effects of breastfeeding may reduce the incidence of type I and type II diabetes, obesity, leukemia, and asthma.

UF Health St. Johns is a proud participant in the Quest for Quality Maternity Care Award program and has been awarded three stars thus far, which further demonstrates our commitment to providing Quality Maternity Care.