Last year I sent a letter to the doctor who is the head of the ethics
committee at my hospital outlining the concerns I had related to the
marketing practices of the formula companies.  These included the discharge
sample bags for patients and freebies to staff members - formula, dinners,
etc.  It is long-past time I updated my Lactnet friends about the outcome.

I sent the letter by e-mail  to the chair of the ethics committee, with
copies to the chief of OB, chief of Newborn Nursery,  Director of Women's
Services (nursing), and Director of Patient Care Services.  The ethics chair
sent it to the president of the hospital and asked what it was about.  The
president called the Director of Patient Care Services and told her to
handle it in the department.

The Nursery chief was adamant about keeping the diaper bags.  I was arguing
ethics, while he was arguing marketing and how he thought it made us more
desireable to the pregnant moms looking for a place to have their babies.
(Besides the marketing issue, there was an outright gift to the department
of several thousand dollars from the formula company.)    My boss (Director
of Women's Services) was absolutely in my corner, as was the OB chief, and
some of the staff nurses..  The Director of Patient Care Services did not
"get it".

Although I knew I had the absolute right to persue this with the ethics
committee, I was also very aware that I could push it until I lost my job. I
chose to back-away from the issue, having raised awareness, and not
relinquishing my stand.

We still give out the diaper bags.  By NYS Code for Hospitals says we are
not allowed to give them out to BF moms unless they specifically request
them or the MD writes an order.  Many moms come in with coupons for the bags
that they got in magazines or from formula company mailings to their homes.
I am currently trying to increase compliance with the NYS Code, but when I
hung a sign stating the above with a copy of the pertinent part of the code
attached, the OB chief took it down.  I will speak to my boss about it
tomorrow.  The hospital is required to comply with the code or it can be
cited.

We will see how this next round turns out....

Barb Berges BS, RN, IBCLC
Rochester, New York

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html