Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) is proud to announce that Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) and Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC) have both achieved certification as a Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital. This certification recognizes our health care team members’ commitment to best practices in infant safe sleep, ensuring the highest standards of care for our youngest patients. Cribs for Kids® is a national safe sleep initiative dedicated to reducing infant mortality. By earning this certification, FMC and VVMC demonstrate adherence to rigorous guidelines established by the Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program.
“Sleep related deaths are the number one reason we lose our babies each year, 3,400 infants annually,” said Michael H. Goodstein, MD, neonatologist and medical director at Cribs for Kids®. “We know that parents do at home what they see done in the hospital, so modeling safe sleep and providing education to families will have an impact on infant mortality. Cribs for Kids® program recognizes hospitals making this commitment,” Dr. Goodstein added.
“We are so proud of our teams at FMC and VVMC who have worked diligently to meet the requirements to earn this certification and proves our dedication to providing safe sleep care for our babies,” said NAH Director of Women and Infant Services, Nicole Venuti. “Safe sleep education is one of the most effective ways we can protect our vulnerable neonatal population. By partnering with our families from the very beginning, we can prevent negative outcomes and support healthier futures for our community’s children,” Venuti added.
Judy Bannon, CEO and founder of Cribs for Kids®, states, “The National Infant Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program launched in 2015. It is rooted in the Safe Sleep Recommendations made by American Academy of Pediatrics and the research that demonstrates families do at home what they see done in the hospital. There are over 500 infant safe sleep certified hospitals across the country and beyond. We are proud to welcome FMC and VVMC to our program, it will have a profound effect on saving babies’ lives.”
As part of this ongoing commitment, NAH will be providing a free Safe Sleep Swaddle to every baby born at FMC and VVMC over the next year. These swaddles are designed to promote safe sleep habits and give families a practical, comforting tool to use at home. This initiative demonstrates NAH’s belief that every parent should have access to resources that make it easier to follow safe sleep recommendations easier.