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Published on July 31, 2023

Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital earns recognition for care of babies

Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital has again been recognized for its commitment to give babies a healthy start in life.

Exterior of Tidelands Waccamaw Community HospitalThe Murrells Inlet hospital has been redesignated as Baby-Friendly by the World Health Organization and UNICEF for offering optimal care for mothers and their babies. A decade ago, Tidelands Waccamaw was the first hospital in South Carolina to earn the prestigious designation.

The Baby-Friendly designation is awarded following evaluation of an organization’s efforts to give breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.

Tidelands Waccamaw offers comprehensive breastfeeding support to mothers, starting with education before birth. Following delivery, mothers can benefit from individualized lactation counseling in the hospital and at home. Tidelands Waccamaw also encourages mothers and children to bond following delivery through skin-to-skin contact.

“The Baby-Friendly recognition demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the health and wellness of infants,” said Jonella Davis, vice president of operations at Tidelands Health. “Our team partners with mothers to help give babies a healthy start so they have the best chance to become healthy children and healthy adults.”

In addition to the Baby-Friendly designation, Tidelands Waccamaw was the second hospital in the United States and first in South Carolina to earn advanced certification in perinatal care from The Joint Commission earlier this year. Tidelands Waccamaw provides integrated care in every stage of pregnancy from prenatal care through delivery.

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Tidelands Health, in collaboration with MUSC Health, is the region’s largest health care provider, serving the Carolinas at four hospitals and more than 70 outpatient locations. More than 2,500 employee, physician and volunteer partners work side by side with our communities to transform the health of our region – promoting wellness, preventing illness, encouraging recovery and restoring health.