Baby-Friendly Initiative Ontario
Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital supports new families and their infant feeding decisions. Breastfeeding is recognized as the normal and unequalled method of feeding infants. The World Health Organization and Canadian Paediatric Society recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life with continued breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond. Markham Stouffville Hospital is working toward designation as a Baby Friendly™ organization. This is an internationally recognized, evidence-based standard with the aim of providing optimal support to babies and families. Find out more about Baby-Friendly Initiative Ontario.
For additional information, please visit the following:
- Durham Region Public Health
- Toronto Public Health
- York Region Public Health
- Breastfeeding matters: An important guide to breastfeeding for women and their families. Available in English, French, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Simplified), Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Pujabi, Russian, Serbian, Somali, Spanish, Tamil, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
- 10 great reasons to breastfeed your baby
- Ten valuable tips for successful breastfeeding
- La Leche League Canada
Kids Health Alliance
We are always striving to enhance the care we provide to our families. This is why Markham Stouffville Hospital became the first community hospital to join Kids Health Alliance (KHA), which was founded in June 2017 by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre. This partnership allows Markham Stouffville Hospital to benefit from the expertise of these renowned paediatric centres and give children timely care in their community where it’s easier for families to visit them. It also allows easier transition from one health care provider to another including electronic health records, improved short- and long-term health of children using best clinical practices, consistency in the continuum of care, and collaborative, innovative research.
MSH Cares – Caesarean Section Reduction Strategy
Markham Stouffville Hospital’s Maternal Child Services are proud to be leaders in the innovation spread of our caesarean section (C-section) reduction strategy. As an organization, we have decreased our C-section rate from almost 30 per cent to 23 per cent and have sustained this lower rate. This was achieved by ensuring we are providing evidence-based care and adhering to best practice guidelines.
Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently Program
We are proud to be an active participant in the Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently (MOREOB) Program. This is a “comprehensive performance improvement program that creates a culture of patient safety.” This program provides our staff with tools and education to ensure best practice and better outcomes for moms and their babies.