By bbr

Decatur women’s medical group celebrates a successful effort to earn coveted Baby-Friendly designation to Atlanta area hospital.

ATLANTA – MARCH 2015 – A Decatur, Georgia physicians group specializing in gynecology and obstetrics services is celebrating after their parent hospital joins an elite roster of facilities designated as Baby-Friendly. Representatives from Atlanta Gynecology & Obstetrics (AGO) attended a gala luncheon at the Bobbie Bailey Tower on the campus of DeKalb Medical celebrating the achievement.

Located in Decatur, Georgia, near Atlanta, DeKalb Medical is the first hospital in the state to earn the designation. In addition to its new Baby-Friendly status, DeKalb Medical also received the Georgia Department of Public Health’s 5-STAR Hospital Recognition.

Dr. Catherine Bonk, a physician at AGO and a member of the DeKalb Regional Health System Board of Directors was one of the keynote speakers at the event. The designated OB Champion for DeKalb Medical’s Baby-Friendly certification, Dr. Bonk was part of the team that spearheaded efforts to achieve the Baby-Friendly designation. “This was a huge undertaking by our staff, physicians and administration,” says Dr. Bonk. “We’ve been working diligently toward this goal for a very long time and it’s exciting to see our hospital be recognized in this way. I can’t express how excited and proud I am of DeKalb Medical and our team for helping to make this happen.”

“When we were seeking this designation, I needed an OB doctor who was passionate about breastfeeding, passionate about educating pregnant women and respected by their hospital peers to serve as our ‘OB Champion’ on the Baby-Friendly Team,” says Jamie Ray, RN IBCLC and Manager, OB Community Education for DeKalb Medical. “Dr. Bonk was a perfect fit and readily agreed to be our OB Champion. She was diligent in coordinating her peers in their roles in support of our Baby-Friendly efforts. Thanks to Dr. Bonk’s leadership and guidance, every single OB and Nurse Midwife practicing at DeKalb Medical completed the training requirements, ensuring we could qualify as a Baby-Friendly facility.”

Other keynote speakers included Leah Aldridge, President, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia Atlanta Breastfeeding Consultants, LLC and Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health.

To learn more about the Baby-Friendly program and AGO’s role in helping achieve this designation, you may read more at https://www.atlantagynob.com/client_files/File/baby-friendly-press-release.pdf.

About Atlanta Gynecology & Obstetrics Atlanta Gynecology & Obstetrics has experienced physicians, certified nurse midwives and nurses who provide personalized care for each patient’s needs. Our Board Certified obstetricians and gynecologists are trained to help patients with both routine and high-risk obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health issues, and infertility. Our “Family Centered” approach to patient care extends beyond the labor and delivery experience (including family-centered cesareans) as we have taken care of mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers – many generations within the same family. To learn more about services and our providers, visit our website at www.atlantagynob.com.