Hi Lactnetters,
One of the local family practice docs sent this glowing letter to the
administration of our hospital.  Needless to say, we were THRILLED!  With
his permission I am sharing it with Lactnet.
Martha Johnson RN IBCLC
SHMC Lactation Services
Eugene Oregon




> Hello!
>       I recently asked Sacred Heart's new outpatient lactation consultants
> who I have to thank for this WONDERFUL and sorely needed new community
> resource, and they suggested i write to you, Ms. Rankin.  Adding Alan and
> Brian was my idea;  i thought they might enjoy some praise for a change.
> I've also taken the liberty of copying this to the lactation service and
> Dr. Bent of NICU, so they know how grateful i am for their efforts.
>       As i'm sure you know, breastfed infants are unequivocally healthier
> during their first year of life, and likely on into adulthood.  Not only
> does this delight me as their doctor, it also pleases me as a good steward
> of healthcare dollars.  Clearly, in pediatrics,  prevention is VASTLY more
> cost-effective than cure.  It is also, of course, the right thing to do.
>       As you may also know, breastfeeding is a "natural" activity that,
> like walking, is a LEARNED skill.  Every breastfeeding duo (or
> occasionally trio) has its own dynamic and its own individual problems to
> solve.
>       Up to now, far too many of my patients have tried breastfeeding, and
> failed, because they had inadequate individual support, particularly after
> leaving the hospital with their infant.  This is true despite my
> practice's vigorous advocacy and support of them in their efforts to
> breastfeed, because true lactation support requires a level of time,
> expertise, and potentially very lengthy on-call support that neither i,
> nor the VAST majority of my family practice and pediatric colleagues, are
> qualified or able to provide, especially in the setting of a busy clinic
> day.
>       The specific baby that prompts this note is a little guy born
> slightly more than 4 weeks premature, now - at almost 6 weeks -- growing
> and gaining well, but still needing a highly individual plan of breast
> time, supplemental nursing support, and an occasional bottle of expressed
> breastmilk, while mom works in a carefully crafted schedule of pumping to
> maintain and expand supply.  Your lactation specialists have been able to
> keep this kid exclusively breastfed with a range of ideas, tricks and
> tools that FAR exceed what it would have occurred to me to recommend, or
> that I could teach well, even when they did occur to me, too.  With their
> help, he is well on his way to being completely independent of all
> paraphernalia, although i anticipate yet another 4 to 8 weeks before he
> fully reaches this stage.  This would certainly NOT have happened without
> the outpatient lactation service;  and it would have been more difficult
> without the seamless transition created by having these folks work both
> inpatient and outpatient sides.
>       I know we've come in for a lot of criticism lately at PeaceHealth;
> i suggest that this new service is a shining community service AND a
> superb example of the community's healthcare dollars well spent, with an
> impact extending decades into the future.  I'd be happy to sing it's
> praises to the media, or anyone else who needs to hear them.
>       Thanks again for making high quality newborn care a good deal
> easier.
> John Holtzapple, MD

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