Central Maine business briefs: Northern Light Health honored for its commitment to safe sleep for infants – Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel

By | February 16, 2020

BREWER — Northern Light Health recently became the first health care system in the country to have all of its birthing hospitals named Gold Safe Sleep Champions by the Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program. The certification recognizes Northern Light Health for its commitment to keeping infants as safe as possible in their sleep environment and eliminating as many sleep-related deaths as possible.

The path to gold level certification began with a comprehensive, systemwide infant safe sleep policy. Other steps to certification included replacing receiving blankets in the hospital with wearable blankets or “sleep sacks,” training the care team on safe sleeping guidelines, developing a plan to educate parents about safe sleep before they leave the hospital and modeling safe sleep behaviors in the hospital and in the community. Each Northern Light Health birthing hospital also provides cribettes to families in need that do not have the means to provide a safe sleep environment at home.

Northern Light Health welcomes more than 3,000 babies to Maine each year at its five birthing hospitals: Northern Light AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle, Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville, Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital in Ellsworth, and Northern Light Mercy Hospital in Portland.

“Caregiving teams from all five of our birthing hospitals made a commitment to together pursue the highest level of certification in this national program,” says Michelle Hood, president and CEO of Northern Light Health.

Nurse Earns Certification in Emergency Nursing

FARMINGTON – Hanna Chaney, BSN, RN, CEN, a registered nurse at Franklin Memorial Hospital has earned the certified emergency nurse credential from the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing.

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Chaney joins an elite group of emergency nurses who have demonstrated their advanced specialty knowledge, expertise and clinical judgment in emergency nursing. Board certification validates specialty knowledge and expertise through a rigorous national board exam.

Chaney received her associate’s degree in nursing from the Maine College for Health Professions and her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Southern New Hampshire University. She has worked at Franklin Memorial for five years, all based in the emergency department.

The First Amendment Museum names Christian Cotz as new CEO

The First Amendment Museum in Augusta announced the appointment of Christian J. Cotz as chief executive officer.

Cotz brings 25 years of museum experience and a deep knowledge of the First Amendment to Maine, having worked in leadership positions at James Madison’s Montpelier in central Virginia for the last two decades. Cotz will guide the First Amendment Museum through building staff, completing the restoration of the historic structure, construction of the museum addition, and developing and installing exciting and relevant exhibitions in the space.

“We are confident Christian’s experience in the museum field will allow us to speed up the pace of the project and bring new energy and ideas and partners to the table,” said Genie Gannett, board chairperson of the museum.

The First Amendment Museum is located in the historic home of publisher Guy Gannett on State Street in Augusta, next to the Blaine House and the Capitol.

At Montpelier from 2000-2019, Cotz took part in the transformation and restoration of the home of America’s fourth president and father of the Constitution, James Madison. “There are a lot of parallels between the two places,” said Cotz. “When I started at Montpelier, we had a house that needed to be restored, both Madison and Montpelier were largely unheard of, we had very few visitors, and no money. But we had incredible aspirations. This project will be another exciting challenge. And, of course, Madison penned the First Amendment, and was a champion of the rights it protects.”

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Cotz’s wife, Amy Larrabee Cotz, was born and raised in Belfast and is a historian in her own right, being the associate editor of the Dolley Madison Digital Edition at the University of Virginia. She and their two daughters, Ava and Aria, will join Cotz in Maine in June.

Compiled from submitted news releases. For more business briefs, visit CentralMaine.com. 


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