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“Dream Big with Safe Sleep” campaign brings coordinated effort to keep newborns safe
Columbus, OH (July 16, 2025) – In collaboration with central Ohio’s four major hospital systems, the Central Ohio Hospital Council (COHC) raises awareness about infant mortality and preventative sleep practices with its newest initiative, Dream Big with Safe Sleep. The initiative, launching today, July 16th, emphasizes the importance of front-line staff providing critical guidance and resources in the form of four key steps before discharge.
Sleep-related deaths remain a leading, and preventable, cause of infant mortality in central Ohio, with 16% of all infant deaths in 2024 being sleep-related, according to COHC data. The Dream Big with Safe Sleep campaign aims to equip nurses and front-line staff with refreshed, standardized materials and a renewed level of importance on completing four key steps before families leave with their newborns.
“Every baby deserves the chance to dream big, and that starts with making sure they sleep safely,” said Jeff Klinger, president and CEO of the COHC. “As of December 2024, we lost 124 infants in Franklin County, and 20 were because of sleep-related causes. That’s nearly an entire Kindergarten class. The Dream Big with Safe Sleep campaign reinforces our shared responsibility to keep babies safe from the start and builds a culture of consistency that saves lives.”
This initiative reinforces the four steps staff must complete with families before discharge, which include:
- Asking about a crib in the home – and directing to resources for free or low-cost options if there is no crib for the baby
- Showing the Safe Sleep educational video produced by CelebrateOne, central Ohio’s public/private initiative to reduce infant mortality
- Providing an educational door-hanger that parents and caregivers can reference to reinforce safe sleep practices at home
- Supplying a sleep sack for infants to wear when sleeping during the colder winter months
Elements of the campaign include:
- Staff training to strengthen awareness and delivery of safe sleep practices
- Custom badge clips and mouse pads reinforcing the campaign tagline
- Multilingual educational materials provided to families
- In-room crib/bassinet cards and signage highlighting the ABCs of safe sleep and the four essential steps to complete before discharge
- A team pledge to model safe sleep behaviors in the birthing units
With support from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Mount Carmel Health System, OhioHealth and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center leadership, this campaign is a localized call to action, ensuring every family leaves the hospital secure with the knowledge to protect their newborn.
“Uniting all four hospital systems for this campaign is a powerful step forward in eliminating sleep-related infant deaths,” said OhioHealth CEO and COHC Board Chair, Stephen Markovich, MD. “By speaking with one voice, we’re ensuring that every family across central Ohio receives consistent, life-saving education and giving more babies the chance to thrive.”
To learn more about safe sleep and infant mortality in Franklin County, visit centralohiohospitals.org/infant-mortality.
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The Central Ohio Hospital Council (COHC) is the forum for area hospitals to collaborate with each other and community stakeholders to improve the quality, value, equity and accessibility of health care in the region. Its four members include Mount Carmel Health System, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and OhioHealth.
