Appx H-2 Invitation Cover Letter (email letter) 7 30 2013

D ear «FirstName» «LastName»:

Recently one of our staff contacted your facility about the 2013 CDC National Survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC). You were identified as the person most knowledgeable about these practices at your facility.

We invite you now to complete the mPINC survey. Your participation is completely voluntary; it takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. The survey is conducted from a "secure" https (SSL) server using the same type of internet security as is used for handling credit card transactions. Every precaution has been made to reduce the risk that unauthorized users could view your facility’s answers. The link provided here is unique to your facility, it is intended only for the following facility and location.

Facility Name: <facility name>

Address: <address>

<city, state, zip>

Click here to go to the mPINC Survey

If you are unable to use the link, please go to www.mpincsurvey.com and enter your unique username: <username> and password: <password>

About the mPINC Survey

The mPINC survey asks about day-to-day practices in mother-baby care at your facility, and focuses on infant nutrition care including breastfeeding, use of formula by healthy newborns, and feeding routines. Since you are completing the survey on behalf of your facility overall, you may find that the experience or knowledge of other staff within your facility may be needed to answer some of the survey questions. As you complete the mPINC survey, please feel free to seek input from these colleagues.

This research study is being conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assess infant feeding practices at maternity care facilities in the United States and Territories. This is the fourth time this survey is being conducted; it was first administered in 2007. All facilities in the United States and Territories we identify as providing maternity care are being asked to participate in the survey, whether or not they participated in the previous surveys. We are using the current American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey Database and the American Association of Birth Centers directory to identify these facilities.

Once data collection and analysis are complete, we will send you an individualized report that will enable you to compare your facility with other similar facilities on indicators of infant feeding practices and policies. In addition, anonymous results from all facilities will be summarized overall and for each state.

Confidentiality

Your responses will be treated in a secure manner. Your responses will be kept private to the extent allowed by law. Your name, facility name, and any other personal identifiers will not appear when we present in oral or written presentation of study results. Access to documents and electronic files is restricted to the research staff working on the study.

If you have any questions regarding this study please call Jaime Liesmann Dohack, M.S., R.D., Task Leader, Battelle, toll free at 1-866-826-4176. If you have any questions regarding your rights as a study subject, please contact the Chairperson of the Battelle Institutional Review Board, at 1-877-810-9530, ext. 500.

Thank you in advance for your time and participation in this important research endeavor.

Sincerely,

Laurence Grummer-Strawn, PhD

Chief, Nutrition Branch

Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention