West Winds Primary Health Centre Baby Friendly Initiative 2011-2022

West Winds Primary Health Centre (WWPHC) began its journey to implement Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards of care in 2006 and became the first BFI designated community health service in the Prairie Provinces in 2011, with re-designation in 2016 and 2022 (pending).
WWPHC is home to a full scope of community-based Saskatchewan Health Authority programs and the University of Saskatchewan’s Academic Family Medicine Clinic and residency program: included are programs serving pregnant persons, birthing and postpartum parents, infants and children. In response to updated standards to provide evidence-informed best practice for all families around infant feeding by the World Health Organization and the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada New BFI-Implementation-Guideline-2021 (1) WWPHC Infant Feeding Guidelines were updated in 2021. Teams found new inspiration and realized that within the updates were opportunities for quality improvement around family-centred care, continuity of care, informed decision making, staff competency, trauma-informed and equity-based care, food security, inclusivity, and infection control. Implementation of the BFI has demonstrated a positive change related to safe and reliable care, accessible and appropriate service, and strengthened integrated services. The success at WWPHC is the result of significant collaboration and innovation amongst the departments.