SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― Regional West Medical Center is among the first hospitals in the nation to successfully complete the EMPower Training initiative, a skills-based competency training to advance knowledge and skills in evidence-based maternity practices supportive of optimal infant nutrition. 

Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the EMPower Training initiative is committed to safe implementation of maternity care practices to support optimal infant nutrition, including breastfeeding. 

“The EMPower Training initiative has been an excellent educational opportunity for our staff. Our goal is to implement the best practices in helping families to be successful with the option they choose to feed their newborns, with a focus on informed decision-making and respect for parental choice.” said Erika Carmody, MSN, RN, director of the Birth & Infant Care Center and Pediatrics.

As part of this effort, Regional West committed to training the Birth and Infant Care Center staff in accordance with the World Health Organization and UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative guidance outlined in the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. With the help of the EMPower Training initiative, Regional West is equipped with skills needed to help support mothers in the safe implementation of optimal infant nutrition.

The EMPower Team is led by Abt Associates, Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute, and the Center for Public Health Quality.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 in-network providers, and 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.