Earlier this month, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) recognized Banner North Colorado Medical Center and Banner Fort Collins Medical Center, among 34 other Colorado hospitals, for their commitment to promoting and supporting breastfeeding through the Colorado Hospital Lactation Collaborative.
The awards recognize hospitals that have implemented evidence-based maternity care policies and practices that support breastfeeding and improve care for families across Colorado.
At the Sept. 16 event, CDPHE honored Banner Northern Colorado Medical Center with the Colorado Hospital Breastfeeding Excellence Platinum Award and Banner Fort Collins Medical Center with the Colorado Hospital Breastfeeding Excellence Gold Award.
The Colorado Hospital Breastfeeding Excellence Award honors hospitals on a biennial basis for their commitment to evidence-based maternity care and breastfeeding support through written hospital policies that follow at least several of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Award levels range from Bronze to Diamond based on the number of Steps implemented. These evidence-based policies and practices are designed to increase breastfeeding success and improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
“This recognition reflects the dedication of our nurses, lactation consultants and physicians at both Banner Northern Colorado Medical Center and Banner Fort Collins Medical Center. They give new parents the time, support and confidence they need in those first days with their baby,” said Julia Reinink, Banner Health’s chief nursing officer in Northern Colorado. “We’re proud to be part of the Colorado Hospital Lactation Collaborative and to help families across Northern Colorado get a strong, healthy start close to home.”
Supporting Evidence-Based Maternity Care
Additionally, CDPHE recognized all eight Baby-Friendly designated facilities in Colorado for receiving and maintaining the Baby-Friendly designation. The Colorado Hospital Lactation Collaborative is open to all hospitals and birthing facilities and provides free training, resources, and technical assistance to help facilities implement evidence-based maternity care policies and practices that strengthen breastfeeding support and improve care for families.
The Collaborative also supports facilities interested in pursuing and maintaining Baby-Friendly designation and implementing the evidence-based practices outlined in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
“Evidence-based hospital practices can make a meaningful difference not only in whether families start breastfeeding, but in how long they continue. The support families receive during their hospital stay can have an impact long after they go home. Our Colorado data show that parents who reported receiving at least five of the Ten Steps during their hospital stay breastfed for approximately three months longer than those who did not,” said Stacy Miller, Breastfeeding Specialist at CDPHE and facilitator of the Colorado Hospital Lactation Collaborative.
Learn more about the Colorado Hospital Lactation Collaborative (formerly CBFHC) at BreastfeedColorado.com or contact Stacy Miller at [email protected] or 303-319-1929.
For more information about what the Colorado Hospital Breastfeeding Excellence Award means for Banner Northern Colorado Medical Center and Banner Fort Collins Medical Center, contact [email protected].
About Banner Health
Banner Health’s mission is to make health care easier, so life can be better. As one of the nation’s largest fully integrated nonprofit health systems, we are pioneering a sustainable care model that prioritizes prevention, manages chronic disease, and reduces health spending – succeeding when patients stay healthy, not when they get sick.
We operate 33 hospitals and more than 400 sites across six states, delivering seamless care from primary to quaternary medicine, including health insurance, physician networks, world-renowned specialty services, and behavioral health. Accountable to the communities we serve, we reinvest every dollar into advancing care, research, and facilities, providing more than $1 billion each year in community benefit.
Through our partnership with the University of Arizona, we drive clinical discoveries across more than 800 trials and train more than 1,300 residents and fellows annually. Headquartered in Arizona, we serve Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming. Our hospitals are consistently ranked among Arizona’s top-performing by U.S. News & World Report.
For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/about
GREELEY, Colo. (Sept. 28, 2026)