Lessons Learned from Hospital Leaders Who Participated in a National Effort to Improve Maternity Care Practices and Breastfeeding

Objectives: As a method to increase exclusive and overall breastfeeding, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded the National Institute for Children's Health Quality to run a national collaborative designed to accelerate the number of Baby-Friendly-designated hospitals in the United States. A unique aspect of this project was the development of the first ever national quality improvement collaborative of hospital leaders focused on maternity care practices and breastfeeding. Materials and Methods: Members of the Leadership Track were continually engaged and surveyed throughout the project period to provide feedback on the collaborative process and project as a whole. Results: The Leadership Track served as a vital catalyst for change, resulting in an unprecedented number of newly designated Baby-Friendly hospitals. Conclusions: A quality improvement Leadership Track adds value and provides lessons learned that can be applied to other complex healthcare initiatives affecting global policies and public health.