HOUSTON (Oct. 7, 2026) — Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital has successfully achieved a 10-year Baby-Friendly® redesignation for its women and infant services, a demonstration of its elite maternal-newborn program based on evidence-based education, clinical practices and ongoing family support.
“Baby-Friendly doesn't begin at delivery, and it doesn't end at discharge,” says Monique Mason Rhodes, director of nursing, Women and Infant Services, Ben Taub Hospital. “At Ben Taub, we prepare families during pregnancy, provide safe and individualized care at birth, support informed infant-feeding decisions, and ensure families continue to have access to education and specialized support after they go home.”
A designated facility since 2015, Ben Taub Hospital has consistently shown strong patient outcomes, multidisciplinary collaboration and a comprehensive approach that begins during pregnancy and extends well beyond hospital discharge. The hospital serves mothers and their families with diverse medical and social needs through specialized programs that support individualized maternal-newborn care. Among its services include a renowned certified nurse midwifery program in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine, a comprehensive program treating mothers diagnosed with HIV and the Maternal Opiates Misuse (M.O.M.) Program, which provides coordinated care and support for pregnant patients affected by substance use disorders.
“Baby-Friendly is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” says Glorimar Medina, MD, senior vice president and CEO, Hospital Campuses, Harris Health. “Our patients come to us with different experiences, medical conditions and support systems. The designation reflects our commitment to making sure every mother/family has access to the information, resources, and individualized support needed. Achieving Baby-Friendly redesignation required collaboration across the entire Women and Infant Services continuum, including prenatal clinic teams, bedside nurses, lactation consultants, physicians, midwives, educators, leadership and community partners.”
One of the hospital's greatest accomplishments during the redesignation process was the performance of its prenatal affiliated clinics. During the survey, evaluators conducted interviews with patients who had delivered within the previous eight weeks to assess what they remembered and understood about the education they received during pregnancy. The prenatal component showed the effectiveness of the education provided through Ben Taub's prenatal clinics and maternal care programs.
Beyond traditional clinic visits, Ben Taub Hospital has expanded patient education through partnerships with Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant and Children (WIC) and digital resources available through Harris Health patient portal, MyHealth. Families can access infant-feeding education videos during pregnancy and continue using those resources after delivery, creating a seamless connection between prenatal education, bedside teaching and support at home.
The redesignation also recognizes evidence-based maternal-newborn practices such as immediate skin-to-skin contact and rooming-in, which support early parent-infant bonding, newborn transition and family confidence. Ben Taub Hospital emphasizes that these practices are implemented when clinically appropriate and always with the safety and individual needs of mother and baby as the highest priority.
Support continues after discharge through the hospital’s Lactation Clinic, where families can receive specialized breastfeeding and infant-feeding assessment, education and follow-up care. The clinic provides a significant resource for patients experiencing feeding challenges and helps ensure continued support during the postpartum period.
"You can't achieve Baby-Friendly from a conference room," says Aleksandra Bochus-Gawronska, clinical resource nurse, Ben Taub Hospital. "Our frontline teams bring it to life in every patient interaction. This redesignation belongs to every team member who supports mothers, babies, and families throughout their journey."
The redesignation reinforces Ben Taub's longstanding commitment to improving maternal and infant health outcomes through evidence-based care, patient education, health equity and multidisciplinary collaboration, ensuring families receive support from pregnancy through postpartum recovery.
Baby-Friendly® is an internationally recognized designation based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding developed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF. The designation recognizes hospitals and birth centers that support maternal-newborn health through evidence-based education, clinical practices, and ongoing family support.