NORTH MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER–TUPELO

Congratulations to North Mississippi Medical Center–Tupelo, CHEER’s CHAMPion of the Week!

After years of dedication and continuous quality improvement, the team has been officially redesignated as Baby-Friendly.

Located in Tupelo, Mississippi, the hospital has been a committed CHAMPS partner for more than a decade. North Mississippi Medical Center–Tupelo first joined CHAMPS in December 2014, achieved Baby-Friendly designation in March 2020, and has remained deeply engaged through both MS CHAMPS and CHAMPS National. Throughout this journey, the team has shown unwavering commitment to advancing breastfeeding support, safe infant feeding practices, and family-centered maternity care.

Shelley Long, RN, BSN, IBCLC, Lactation Supervisor, shares what this achievement means to their team:

“We want every patient to experience an excellent delivery and postpartum experience. We want each patient to get an opportunity to hold their baby right after birth, and breastfeed while feeling supported by all staff. We want mothers who choose to formula feed to be educated on how to safely feed their baby.

Our Baby-Friendly designation is something we share with pride. Our payers also recognize this designation as optimal care, and this helps support our organization financially. We often hear from patients that their experience here was their ‘best birth yet,’ a ‘breath of fresh air,’ and that everyone treated them with kindness.

Leadership reminds our team that the things patients love most are the result of Baby-Friendly practices—and that not all hospitals offer the same experience. We love our work and are committed to continually improving the care we provide.”

CHEER congratulates North Mississippi Medical Center–Tupelo on this outstanding accomplishment! Your continued dedication to high-quality, compassionate, Baby-Friendly care is making a lasting difference for families across your community.