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Seven weeks ago, the birth of Alice Dempsey was anything but textbook. Looking back on the experience, Alice’s mom, Gala Dempsey of Hannibal, is still very thankful for the support she received during and following the delivery from the nurses and staff in the Chris Coons’ Women’s Care Unit at Hannibal Regional Hospital.
“I had the upmost appreciation for the nurses that were with me for 30 hours and then after that it wasn’t like they had gone away just because Alice was out. They cared for me and made sure that I was doing OK,” she said. “She (Alice) had a rough time and was in an incubator. But even though she was in the incubator they brought her to our room so we could be with her as close as we could so we really, really appreciated that. Having our first child and having problems, that made us feel more connected (to Alice) and the nurses helped make that possible for us.”
Dempsey was on hand Thursday afternoon at HRH where it was announced that the hospital has been designated a Baby-Friendly facility. She was not surprised by the prestigious honor that the staff has been focused on earning for five years.
“I think it is well deserved,” said Dempsey. “I think that a lot of people for some reason give Hannibal a bad rap. I’m one that can say that I definitely would recommend Hannibal Regional Hospital for all the things that they do. We’re very appreciative of their staff and all the things they did above and beyond for us.”
HRH is the first birth facility in Missouri to earn this designation and only the 83rd in the entire country.
“It makes us feel very excited and very fortunate to be the first in Missouri to say this. That’s why it’s a big deal,” said Linda Dinges, director of the Chris Coons’ Women’s Care Center, who joined HRH’s staff 20 months ago. “It’s going to make a real difference for the state of Missouri. We’re going to be a national leader and we’re going to be responsible for initiating a driving force for the rest of the state.”
Was Dinges expecting the designation this year?
“We weren’t sure,” she said. “It’s something very hard to achieve and you don’t know until you go through a very thorough examination.”
According to Dinges, to achieve the honor some hospital policies and guidelines had to be revised.
“What we’re trying to do is really establish what is necessary for the families to go home and feel secure in the care of their infant,” she said.
“Hannibal Regional Hospital is honored by the Baby-Friendly designation and, more importantly, pleased to be able to bring this level of care to our region,” said John Grossmeier, HRH president and CEO.
Baby-Friendly USA is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Seven weeks ago, the birth of Alice Dempsey was anything but textbook. Looking back on the experience, Alice’s mom, Gala Dempsey of Hannibal, is still very thankful for the support she received during and following the delivery from the nurses and staff in the Chris Coons’ Women’s Care Unit at Hannibal Regional Hospital.
“I had the upmost appreciation for the nurses that were with me for 30 hours and then after that it wasn’t like they had gone away just because Alice was out. They cared for me and made sure that I was doing OK,” she said. “She (Alice) had a rough time and was in an incubator. But even though she was in the incubator they brought her to our room so we could be with her as close as we could so we really, really appreciated that. Having our first child and having problems, that made us feel more connected (to Alice) and the nurses helped make that possible for us.”
Dempsey was on hand Thursday afternoon at HRH where it was announced that the hospital has been designated a Baby-Friendly facility. She was not surprised by the prestigious honor that the staff has been focused on earning for five years.
“I think it is well deserved,” said Dempsey. “I think that a lot of people for some reason give Hannibal a bad rap. I’m one that can say that I definitely would recommend Hannibal Regional Hospital for all the things that they do. We’re very appreciative of their staff and all the things they did above and beyond for us.”
HRH is the first birth facility in Missouri to earn this designation and only the 83rd in the entire country.
“It makes us feel very excited and very fortunate to be the first in Missouri to say this. That’s why it’s a big deal,” said Linda Dinges, director of the Chris Coons’ Women’s Care Center, who joined HRH’s staff 20 months ago. “It’s going to make a real difference for the state of Missouri. We’re going to be a national leader and we’re going to be responsible for initiating a driving force for the rest of the state.”
Was Dinges expecting the designation this year?
“We weren’t sure,” she said. “It’s something very hard to achieve and you don’t know until you go through a very thorough examination.”
According to Dinges, to achieve the honor some hospital policies and guidelines had to be revised.
“What we’re trying to do is really establish what is necessary for the families to go home and feel secure in the care of their infant,” she said.
“Hannibal Regional Hospital is honored by the Baby-Friendly designation and, more importantly, pleased to be able to bring this level of care to our region,” said John Grossmeier, HRH president and CEO.
Baby-Friendly USA is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund.
