The Gift
What is The Gift?
The Gift is an equity-focused, evidence-based quality improvement and designation program that provides tools, training and coaching to support Louisiana birthing facilities with safe, equitable, and patient-centered implementation of internationally recognized best practices to improve breastfeeding and infant feeding outcomes.
The Gift uses comprehensive tools, training, and quality improvement science to improve maternal and infant morbidity and mortality outcomes in Louisiana. Hospital coaching activities include collaborative learning coaching calls, topic calls, and one-on-one hospital quality improvement planning (charter chats) focused on safe and equitable implementation of best practices related to infant feeding and birth parent-infant attachment.
Participating hospitals teams report on key measures stratified by race to monitor improvements and use best practices related to the accurate and consistent collection of stratified data focused on building transparent systems that routinize conversations with patients about their race/ethnicity and make health equity an organizational priority.
The Gift was launched in 2006 to improve breastfeeding outcomes. Today, in its third iteration, 42 of 48 birthing hospitals in Louisiana have achieved and maintained Gift or Gift Shining Star designation. Analyses of Louisiana Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data found that breastfeeding outcomes are higher for patients who delivered at Gift-designated birthing facilities, regardless of race.
Participating Facilities
- Acadian Medical Center
- Baton Rouge General Medical Center
- Beauregard Health System
- CHRISTUS Health Shreveport Bossier
- CHRISTUS Ochsner Lake Area Hospital
- CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini
- East Jefferson General Hospital
- Franklin Foundation Hospital
- Iberia Medical Center
- Jennings American Legion Hospital
- Lafayette General Medical Center
- Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women
- Lakeview Regional Medical Center
- Lane Regional Medical Center
- Minden Medical Center
- Natchitoches Regional Medical Center
- North Caddo Medical Center
- North Oaks Medical Center
- Northern Louisiana Medical Center
- Ochsner Baptist Medical Center
- Ochsner LSU Health Monroe
- Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport
- Ochsner Medical Center – Baton Rouge
- Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner
- Ochsner Medical Center Westbank
- Ochsner St. Anne
- Ochsner St. Mary
- Opelousas General Hospital
- Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center
- Our Lady of The Angels Hospital
- Rapides Women’s and Children’s Hospital
- Slidell Memorial Hospital
- St. Francis Medical Center
- St. Tammany Parish Hospital
- Terrebonne General Medical Center
- Thibodaux Regional Medical Center
- Touro Infirmary
- Tulane Health System- Lakeside
- West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital
- West Jefferson Medical Center
- Willis-Knighton Bossier Health Center
- Willis-Knighton Health System South
- Willis-Knighton Pierremont Health Center
- Woman’s Hospital
Initiatives
The Gift
Seeks to improve maternal and infant outcomes related to breastfeeding and birth parent-infant bonding.
Safe Births Initiative
The primary home for AIM bundle implementation and perinatal outcomes work.
ICSED
Our initiative focused on outcomes related to dyads affected by substance & opioid use disorder.
Caregiver Perinatal Depression Screening
Our work that seeks to understand screening & referral pathways for caregivers affected by depression.