Hi-have been lurking for months, and have learned lots., and now am embarking
on a project here you might help me with.  I work  with a community health
agency, seeing 4-500 new moms yearly, very heavily Medicaid. I'm the RN
 IBCLC, which is useful for reimbursement  purposes sometimes, but consider
the non-RN IBCLC my mentor(do you hear that, Susan?)
 We work closely with the WIC agency, which also has an IBCLC on staff, but
does not, repeat not, give out any manual pumps.   (They do have an electric
that moms can come in and use)Perhaps, if they remember, the moms will
receive one from the hospital before they are discharged, but who knows when
that practice will be discontinued, considering the state of the economy!!!
.What I have done on several occasions for some of our moms is to recycle
pumps which have been donated.  After all, we reuse everything else that's
donated, including cribs, clothes, and , yes, hospital gift packs  . Better
they ask us for ABM than give dilute koolaid.
I would like to do this on a larger basis so that all of our moms who request
a pump will receve one. I do not want to see any more moms muddle through
with an ancient bicycle horn pump -not when they deserve so much more!!
And,It might even increase our initiation rate!!!
We have become very friendly with several local dentists who have consented
to doing the autoclaving for us.And we are receiving more donations now that
the word is out. Should I have our moms sign a release form stating that they
are aware these are used pumps? Is that necessary, and would it scare them
off?? Any input from the reps? Any other agency doing this?Anything I havent
thought of ????
                                           TIA, Ellen Hacker