PA AAP Breastfeeding Programs
SCROLL DOWN FOR COVID-19 Breastfeeding Information and Resources
First Food fosters collaboration opportunities with community partners across the Commonwealth to promote breastfeeding which ensures the healthiest start for babies.
Funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, First Food is committed to partnerships and collaborative efforts to increase the number of organizations throughout Pennsylvania that establish policies and programs to support breastfeeding. First Food community partners work collaboratively with other organizations to identify their target needs in order to promote, support and protect breastfeeding among their breastfeeding participants, employees or members. First Food provides education on the benefits of breastmilk as the “first food” and the benefits to mother, infant and the community when breastfeeding is a cultural norm. First Food promotes the Breastfeeding-Friendly Community. |
Keystone 10 is a hospital-based quality improvement initiative aimed at improving the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding for all Pennsylvania infants, mothers, and families.
Funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Keystone 10 assists Pennsylvania’s birthing facilities in adopting and implementing evidence-based maternity care practices with the goal of improving individual facility and state level breastfeeding care and rates and ultimately improving the health of mothers and babies. 83 of the 88 Pennsylvania birthing facilities participate in this initiative through the completion of the nationally-recognized, evidence-based “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding." Hospitals can apply for the 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding one step at a time. This initiative is engaging Pennsylvania’s birthing facilities in local, regional and state level efforts to improve the initiation, duration and exclusivity rates of breastfeeding across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. |
The EPIC (Educating Practices/ Physicians in their Communities) – BEST (Breastfeeding Education, Support, and Training) program is a statewide education program for healthcare providers that encourages office-based change to promote breastfeeding best practices and policies.
EPIC – BEST presentations can be scheduled on site at practices, at grand rounds, monthly meetings, staff meetings, and is available online here. (for those that live and/or work in PA). The BEST Plus program aims to provide guidance on how to create a breastfeeding-friendly medical home for mothers and their families. It expands on EPIC BEST to include all office staff who might come in contact with mothers and their families. Practices receive guidance towards becoming a Community-Based Breastfeeding Friendly Practice Model. Through BEST Plus, a Maintenance of Certification (MOC) project was created: Improving Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates in the Pediatric Practice. |
Learning Opportunities:
- Interested in FREE breastfeeding training with CME/CEU’s?
- Visit https://cme.hs.pitt.edu/ISER/app/home/displayMainPage?site=paaap to access the 1-hour online BEST module (1 CME/CEU) and the 15-hour Keystone 10 modules (15 CME/CEU’s).
- Questions about the online trainings? Email Devon Gilinger, Program Coordinator at dgilinger@paaap.org.
- Interested in scheduling a LIVE Keystone 10 or BEST training?
- Email Dottie Schell at dschell@paaap.org.
