Emerging Practice

Tennessee Safe Sleep Hospital Project


State/Jurisdiction: Tennessee
Setting: Clinical
Population: Infant
Topic Area: Safe and Connected Communities Health Promotion & Communication Birth Outcomes
NPMs: NPM 5: Safe Sleep

The Tennessee Safe Sleep Hospital Project is part of a larger statewide campaign, originally launched by the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) in June 2012 to increase awareness of safe sleep practices in order to reduce infant mortality in Tennessee. The hospital project was envisioned in the Summer of 2013. As part of the project, hospitals were asked to: • Develop a hospital Safe Sleep policy • Implement the Safe Sleep policy, which at a minimum must include: (1) At least annual education to all perinatal staff (OB, peri/postpartum and pediatrics) on Safe Sleep recommendations; (2) Requirements for staff to model Safe Sleep recommendations; and (3) Plan for at least quarterly internal compliance audits with hospital policy • Submit annual report on educational activities and staff compliance to Tennessee Department of Health Partner hospitals received: • Free “Sleep Baby, Safe and Snug” board book for each birth in their facility • Free TDH “ABCs of Safe Sleep” materials • Free Recognition on TDH website • Signed certificate from TDH Commissioner • Press release template


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Implementation Handout



CONTACT INFORMATION
Tennessee Department of Health
Rachel Heitmann
rachel.heitmann@tn.gov
615-741-0368
Practice Website