UNC Health Chatham Hospital has been designated a Baby‑Friendly hospital by Baby‑Friendly USA, recognizing its commitment to evidence‑based maternity care and support for breastfeeding patients and families.
The Baby‑Friendly designation reflects implementation of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, a set of practices developed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF to support bonding, informed decision‑making, and healthy starts for newborns. Hospitals earning this designation demonstrate consistent, team‑based practices across labor and delivery, postpartum care, and newborn services.
“For families, the first hours and days after birth can feel like a whirlwind,” said Beverly Carpenter, MSN, RN-BC, Patient Services Manager in the Maternity Care Center at UNC Health Chatham. “Baby‑Friendly designation validates the way our staff shows up at the bedside by listening first, offering hands‑on help, and tailoring guidance to each family’s goals. We are proud to provide a welcoming environment where parents feel confident, respected, and cared for.”
At UNC Health Chatham, these efforts are carried out through the Family Medicine–led Maternity Care Center, a partnership between UNC Health Chatham Hospital and the UNC Department of Family Medicine. The MCC brings together family physicians, midwives, nurses, and lactation support staff to provide full‑scope maternity care close to home for families in Chatham County and surrounding rural communities.
UNC Family Medicine faculty provide clinical leadership and ongoing collaboration within the MCC, supporting a model of care that emphasizes continuity, shared decision‑making, and respectful, patient‑centered care. This approach allows patients to receive prenatal, labor and delivery, postpartum, and newborn care within their community while remaining connected to the broader UNC Health system.
“Achieving Baby‑Friendly designation reflects our commitment to evidence‑based, compassionate care for mothers and newborns,” said Dana Iglesias, MD, MPH, Medical Director for the Maternity Care Center at UNC Health Chatham. “From skin‑to‑skin bonding to individualized lactation support, our teams work together to ensure families receive consistent education and encouragement, so parents can make informed feeding decisions and feel supported every step of the way.”
The Baby‑Friendly recognition builds on growing evidence of the MCC’s impact. A recently published three‑year evaluation found that outcomes at the Chatham Maternity Care Center are comparable to those at large academic medical centers, while reducing travel time for patients and improving access to care in a region that had previously experienced a loss of maternity services.
Chatham Hospital’s maternity program has also received national recognition. In December 2025, UNC Health Chatham was named a High Performing Hospital for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report, based on measures that include safety, quality, and birthing‑friendly practices.
Together, these milestones reflect a sustained commitment to strengthening rural maternity care through collaboration, community partnership, and family medicine leadership.
Adapted from an original Baby‑Friendly designation press release by Erica Vernon, UNC Health Chatham Hospital.