The NEST (Newborn Evidence-based Sleep Teaching) initiative successfully launched in early 2026 with strong engagement from nine participating hospital teams across Colorado. We are pleased to share that 100% of participating hospitals have completed the baseline NEST Hospital Readiness Assessment, providing an important foundation for identifying implementation priorities and tailoring support throughout the initiative.

The readiness assessment helps hospital teams assess current practices on their units related to safe sleep education and modeling, discharge workflows and referral pathways, and coordination with outpatient and community partners. Results are used to guide site-specific quality improvement efforts and ensure that implementation strategies are responsive to each hospital’s needs. One of the things I’ve appreciated most in these early months is seeing how thoughtfully each hospital team is approaching this work within the context of their own unit and workflows. Some teams are building on strong existing safe sleep education practices while focusing on strengthening their discharge processes or referral pathways, while others are taking a closer look at how safe sleep conversations are introduced to families during the postpartum stay. The goal is to make safe sleep support a more consistent and supported part of routine newborn care so that families leave the hospital with both the information and the support they need.

During the first phase of implementation, sites have begun:

• Conducting crib audits and chart reviews to assess safe sleep support on newborn units
• Reviewing early unit-level data since implementation
• Identifying opportunities to strengthen safe sleep education and home environment screening
• Improving referral pathways and discharge workflows for families who may need additional resources

Participating hospitals are also engaging in the NEST learning collaborative and coaching sessions, where teams share implementation strategies with one another, discuss barriers, and receive quality improvement support as they work toward strengthening safe sleep practices across newborn care settings.

Clinical Incentive: MOC Part IV Credit Now Available

We are also excited to share that participation in NEST has been approved for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part IV credit by the American Board of Pediatrics.

Pediatric clinicians at participating hospitals can earn 25 points of MOC Part IV credit by actively engaging in NEST quality improvement activities, including:

• Reviewing unit-level crib audit and chart review data
• Implementing safe sleep improvements within their newborn units
• Participating in learning collaborative sessions and QI coaching calls

This approval recognizes NEST as a structured, evidence-based quality improvement initiative and provides an additional incentive for clinical teams to participate. By aligning safe sleep implementation with board certification requirements, NEST supports both improved infant safety and meaningful professional development for clinicians across Colorado.

MOC approval also helps recognize the time and effort clinicians may already be investing in improvement work on their units and encourages physician engagement alongside nursing and multidisciplinary teams working to strengthen safe sleep practices. When physicians, nurses, and other members of the care team are engaged together in this work, it helps ensure families hear consistent safe sleep guidance and supports the kind of shared culture that makes safe sleep practices easier to sustain across the unit.

For details on how clinicians can earn MOC credit through NEST, view the MOC One-Pager.

Image: Cribs for Kids