Large group Meeting – March

March 11, 2026

VIEW RECORDING – 59 mins (No highlights)

Key Takeaways

• New Research Goal: The Research & QI subgroup will focus on standardizing EHR documentation (who, how long) to enable future research, as inconsistent data from 2025 prevents analysis.
• Critical Site Actions: All sites should now email stakeholders (if not done so yet). You can using the provided template and begin team planning for staff education, family materials, and event promotion.
• Swag & Branding: The “Camp Cuddles” theme continues for 2026. New swag options (sweatshirts, badge reels) will be finalized soon!
• Free Joey Bands: Joey Bands will donate 10 bands per hospital to support safe, seated skin-to-skin transfers. A Google Form will be sent to all sites to request them. (https://forms.gle/P9HUJNHL9eR1k4e9A)

Topics

Communication & Resources

• Communication: The unreliable Google Groups will be replaced. Our Leadership Team will now BCC all members on calendar invites and meeting minutes to ensure delivery.
• Resources: All printables are in the Site Leader Bundle on cchdskintoskin.com.
  • Password:email leadership if you need this
  • The bundle will be updated continuously with new materials from participating hospitals.

Research & QI Subgroup

• Problem: Inconsistent EHR documentation from the 2025 event prevents data analysis, blocking research on the impact of skin-to-skin care.
• Solution: The subgroup’s primary goal is to standardize documentation.
  • Action: All sites will request their EHR teams build dedicated documentation fields.
  • Minimal Required Fields:
    • Skin-to-skin holding occurred (yes/no)
    • Who held the baby
    • Duration of hold
  • Rationale: A simple, consistent approach is crucial for successful EHR implementation across 34+ hospitals.

Staff & Family Education Subgroups

• Staff Education:
  • Project: Creating a universal pre-skin-to-skin checklist for nurses and families.
  • Status: Bridy Hamilton is compiling submissions from multiple hospitals into a single template for the website.
  • Note: Sites must get institutional approval before sharing any official protocols.
• Family Education:
  • Project: Developing accessible educational materials for parents.
  • Focus: Short videos and picture stories instead of text-heavy documents, which are difficult to translate and less engaging for families.

Registration & Branding Subgroup

• Registration: 34 sites are officially registered. The subgroup will launch a push with QR codes to recruit more.
• Branding & Swag:
  • Theme: “Camp Cuddles” continues for 2026.
    • Action: Site leaders should retain all 2025 materials (banners, etc.).
  • Swag: New items will include sweatshirts, tote bags, stickers, and badge reels.
  • Vendor: The subgroup will explore partnering with Studio 142, a heart warrior mama-owned Etsy shop, to create custom badge reels and stickers.

Next Steps

• All Sites:
  • Email stakeholders using the provided template.
  • Meet with your hospital’s “Camp Cuddles” team to plan promotion, education, and family materials.
  • Verify access to the Site Leader Bundle on cchdskintoskin.com
• Research & QI Subgroup:
  • Finalize the recommended EHR documentation fields (who, how long) for all sites to request.
• Staff Education Subgroup:
  • Finalize the universal pre-skin-to-skin checklist for the website.
• Family Education Subgroup:
  • Begin creating short videos and picture stories for parent education.
• Registration & Branding Subgroup:
  • Finalize swag designs and vendors (Bonfire, Studio 142).
  • Launch the recruitment push for new sites.
• Next Meeting: April 8th, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern Time.

Favorite Ideas from chat:

• Daily Focus Themes: One site used specific daily themes: Monday for Dads, Tuesday for Night Shift, and Wednesday for Long Distance families.
• Staff Reward Tickets: daily raffle tickets for snack/coffee gifts cards for nurses and other staff helping facilitate skin-to-skin.
• Door signs for families that participated were a big hit.
• Simulation education: practice SSC transfers led by RN the week before the event
• Special Recognition: Nurse educators kept track of therapists who did the most SSC interactions and were recognized. 
• Graduation Certificates: Giving infants a “Skin-to-Skin-a-thon Graduate” certificate or a footprint keepsake after the event.
• Share Stories: 2 testimonials from previous families along with pictures, used this to help get physician buy-in. 
• Treats along the journey: Points: 1 point for each developmental intervention done during a shift and then they got treats as they hit certain milestones 
• Huddle “Blitzes”: 5-minute educational refreshers during morning and evening huddles leading up to the start date.
  • Fun Fact about the benefits of SSC every day during our morning x-ray rounds

Breakout Session Minutes: 

Communication & Marketing

• Submitted to present on SSC and SSC-a-thon at SV1 conference
• Working on a list of groups and organizations to reach out to that might help promote the event
• Working on promotional matterals that can be used to let these groups know about the SSC-a-thon in Aug. 

Parent Education

• Action Item: Narrow down to 3–5 core topics for family education materials.
• Format: Develop handouts featuring QR codes that link directly to instructional photos and videos.
• Current Priority Topics:
  • Skin-to-Skin Contact: Benefits for both infant and parent.
  • Alternatives to Holding: Safe ways to bond when skin-to-skin isn’t possible.
  • Communication Tips: How and when to ask the clinical team about holding or skin-to-skin.
  • Developmental Support: ICU-appropriate activities including music, reading, talking, and therapeutic play.

Staff Education

Research/QI

• Our big goal is to support more skin-to-skin research with a multi-site study in 2027! But we need each site to commit to getting documentation of skin-to-skin in their EMR to do it. 
• We would like to provide recommendations to the sites about what we would want as the “bare minimum” documentation for a multi-site study and some other ideas for “bonus points” (could also be helpful for research/QI at individual sites). 
• At a bare minimum, we would like each site to document:
  • Occurrence (out of bed, skin-to-skin holding)
• With who? 
• # of minutes 
• Bonus points for: 
• Who completed the transfer? (Staff vs. caregiver with staff support)
• Using a start/stop time instead of minutes
• We would love to collaborate with Bridy and Sarah about promoting documentation as part of staff education!
  • Maybe posters or slides to encourage documentation?
• Rewards are tied to having documented, not just saying you did it.