—Continued from page 5
Kootenai is one of only about 100 hospitals in the nation to receive
Baby-Friendly designation. This designation represents the highest
standard of care for mothers and babies. A dedication to improving infant
health through breastfeeding and other maternal-infant care practices
helped Kootenai earn this distinction.
“We are pretty all-inclusive when it comes to the mother and family’s
wishes,” Karla Benning, RN, birthing center nurse, said. “We go through
special training to maintain our Baby-Friendly designation. We believe
in as much skin-to-skin contact as possible between mom and baby. We
encourage breastfeeding and also practice 24-hour rooming in, which
allows for the mom and dad to be with their baby as much as possible.”
Karla has been a labor and delivery nurse at Kootenai since 1986. Even
though labor and delivery wasn’t her first choice, she found she was drawn
to the specialty because of its challenges and compassionate nature.
“My mom was a nurse and my grandma was a midwife, so I was raised
with a passion for caring,” Karla said. “As nurses, we see people take
their last breath all the time—now I get to see people take their very first
breath every day and witness this immediate and amazing love from a
family.”
Karla believes that her role as a nurse is more than just giving medical
attention. She said when it comes to patients, she always asks, “What
can I do for you today to make a difference?”
It is because of caring and compassionate nurses like Karla that Koo-
tenai continues to grow and attract more young families. Karla said that
back in 1986, Kootenai delivered about 60 babies a month. Now be-
cause of a growing population and expanding services, Kootenai delivers
about 160 babies each month. And every year that number grows.
“I want Kootenai to be the support that these families need,” she said.
A HIGHER STANDARD
WE WANT
TO GROW
WITH YOU
As northern Idaho continues
to grow, it becomes more
and more important to give
our little ones the attention
and care they need. It seems
only fitting that as the patient
population grows, so does its
hospital services.
“As we grow into becoming
a regional medical center, it
makes sense to offer the full
spectrum of services to our
community,” said Meredith
Myers, RN, pediatric nurse.
“It may sound cheesy, but our
kids really are our future. This
is our future.”
Photo by Sheena Dunn/Spectacular Images.
Kristie Hiiva, RN, holds Piper Barnes in the special care nursery at Kootenai Health.
6
GROWTH
