Brownwood, Texas – Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood joined Hendrick Medical Center and Hendrick Medical Center South, Abilene in becoming a designated Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite. Texas Mother-Friendly employers proactively support employees who choose to breastfeed their infants by providing time, space, and other supports to maintain breastfeeding after returning to work. Employers that provide Texas Mother-Friendly policies benefit from increased employee retention, lower absenteeism, higher morale, greater productivity, reduced health care costs, and improved short- and long-term health of the breastfeeding mother and her child.

Created by the Texas Legislature in 1995 and administered by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Program recognizes employers with written policies reflecting their support for their breastfeeding employees. Such policies that provide work schedule flexibility to allow milk expression breaks, offer a private space, other than a bathroom, where the employee can pump or breastfeed; and ensure easy access to a clean water source and hygienic milk storage arrangements.

To be designated as a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite, an employer must submit an application and a qualifying written employee breastfeeding support policy to DSHS. An online application and listing of Texas Mother-Friendly Worksites is available on the program’s website, https://dshs.texas.gov/TexasMotherFriendly.

Texas Mother-Friendly Worksites represent a wide range of employment sectors, settings, and worksite sizes. A small sampling of employers with the Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite designation include the City of San Antonio; Whole Foods Market; Texas Mutual Insurance Company; Royse City ISD; Q2; Sysco Houston; BazaarVoice; Tesoro; The Children’s Courtyard; Freescale; Dyess Air Force Base 7th Operation Support Squadron; IBM, Corp; and The University of Texas at San Antonio. Also designated are numerous hospitals, state agencies, and health and human services employers.

“We want our employees to know that we support their decision to continue breastfeeding,” said Krista Baty, Chief Administrative Officer. “We are extremely pleased to be designated as a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite.”

For more information on the Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Program, visit https://dshs.texas.gov/TexasMotherFriendly or email program staff at TexasMotherFriendlyWorksite@dshs.texas.gov.