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Women’s Health & Wellness Hero Finalist: Dawn Brown of North Arkansas Regional Medical Center

2 min read

Dawn Brown made it her mission to improve maternity care practices at North Arkansas Regional Medical Center when she took over as director of obstetrics in 2012.

Brown, who began her career as a nurse in 1998, has done that and more.

By the Numbers
1998
When Brown became a nurse

2012

When Brown joined NARMC as OB director

In addition to offering families the best experiences possible, Brown has spearheaded the move to improve services and created support clubs, earning NARMC important recognitions and designations.

In the past two-plus years NARMC has worked to achieve its Baby Friendly Hospital designation, becoming one of just four hospitals in the state to do so. This allowed the center to examine and improve maternity care practices.

The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding make up the basis of the Baby Friendly Hospital initiative and when implemented they provide an optimal environment for moms and babies to succeed with breastfeeding initiation and duration. Promotion of breastfeeding to impact better health is now a state and national initiative, and Brown and NARMC have worked to improve rates and outcomes.

Through telemedicine technology, NARMC is able to provide high risk OB ultrasounds as well as maternal fetal medicine appointments. This eliminates the travel time and worries by providing exceptional care close to home.

The hospital also offers a breast imaging center and an affiliated clinic specializing in women’s health promotion and prevention.

Brown teamed with lactation consultant Sandra Guidry to start a lactation support group as well as building up the hospital’s lactation program.

Skin-to-skin and rooming-in opportunities were created to enhance mother-baby bonding, and safe sleep instruction earned NARMC a Silver Safe Sleep certification from Cribs for Kids.

A perinatal safety bundle ensures a standard baseline of care and Brown’s team also added a postpartum, hemorrhage protocol and cart.

Brown is on the lookout for new ways to improve NARMC’s processes and services.

“The health of women in our community is a top priority and speaks to our vision to be the most trusted and preferred health care provider,” Brown said.

Thanks in part to Brown’s efforts, NARMC has been recognized by the March of Dimes for reducing the number of elective inductions performed before 39 weeks.


See more of this year’s Health Care Heroes.
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