Five K.C. hospitals receive ‘Nurturing Safe Sleep Champion’ certification
Kansas City, Mo., May 3 , 2024 – Nurture KC is proud to announce that five area hospitals have been awarded Nurturing Safe Sleep Champion status for adopting a safe sleep policy for babies, training staff accordingly and providing corresponding education to parents. Ultimately, this certification saves newborns’ lives.
The local hospitals that have been certified over the past two years include:
- AdventHealth South Overland Park
- Liberty Hospital
- North Kansas City Hospital
- Providence Medical Center
- University Health System(Hospital Hill and Lakewood locations)
“Our Nurturing Safe Sleep initiative was a response to the high rates of infant death due to unsafe sleep, particularly for Black babies. Unsafe sleep accounts for 16 percent of all infant deaths, and 24 percent of Black infant deaths, in Kanas City. These deaths are preventable,” says Tracy Russell, Executive Director of Nurture KC. “Hospitals play a leading role in establishing a culture of safe sleep and serve as a touchpoint for new parents.”
Nurture KC’s initiative started in 2022 because only two area hospitals, Children’s Mercy and University Health, had safe sleep credentials. Those credentials are from Cribs for Kids, the national model on this type of training and the program Nurture KC implemented with local hospitals.
Nurture KC’s mission is to reduce infant and maternal mortality and improve family health. One of the organization’s programs is Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) which identifies trends in fetal and infant loses, along with gaps in the health care system, and recommends actions to improve. Focusing on safe sleep practices is a critical step to improve infant health.
More details on FIMR and our work around safe sleep for babies can be found in our 2023 Annual Report. The report is an excellent overview of all of the work Nurture KC is doing across our community. Learn more about our Healthy Start program, Mid America Immunization Coalition, Promise 1000 and how we advocate for public policy to improve local health outcomes.
Nurture KC works to reduce infant mortality and improve family health for KC metro families who need the most support. We do so through public policy action and three main programs: Healthy Start, Mid America Immunization Coalition (MAIC) and the Fetal Infant Mortality Review Committee (FIMR). Nurture KC is committed to health equity for all families – regardless of race, place or circumstance – because we all deserve the opportunity to be healthy. Check out our web site at www.nurturekc.org and 2023 Annual Report to see our tangible results. Also, be sure to visit us on Facebook and Twitter. Nurture KC is located at 1111 W. 39th Street, Suite 100, KC, MO 64111.
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