We started our Task Force in 1987 with representatives invited from the
Health Dept, Hospital, Peds offices, OB/Gyn offices, Med school, University (
Dept of Nutrition which is now Hospitality Managment, School of Midwifery,
and Community Health Education Dept have been most active-Nursing School has
never participated), LLL, and a breastfeeding mother as a consumer member. We
became an official Advisory Council of our County Government in 1995, under
the County Commissioners. That gave us guidance as far as Bylaws, meeting
attendance requirements, etc. We did the Baby Friendly Survey in 1995in area
health care providers ( hopsital, health dept, MDs, etc) and developed 3
goals from those. The offices answered those themselves which limited the
validity but still gave us a basis of information ( for instance all the MD
offices answered yes they had trained staff responsible for breastfeeding
services -who they are we don't know!). Our three goals that we worked on
were: professional education-we developed an ever expanding breastfeeding
conference offered each spring by our area health education center and this
year we have Linda Smith as Keynote speaker-participation has increased from
35 the first year to 180 last year and we had to turn people away;
development of a county wide breastfeeding philosophy which we had printed
and sent to the MD offices to sign, frame and hang; and a multicounty
breastfeeding resource guide. We also work as a group on World Breastfeeding
Week activities.
We meet every two months ( tomorrow). this past month a subgroup met and
wrote a mission statement ( borrowed and personalized from other coalitions
listed on Cindy Curtis' website--thanks!!) and developed 3 goals for this
year--World Bresatfeeding Week activities, the Breastfeeding Conference and
doing an updated survey of breastfeeding promotion in health care providers'
groups and asking for suggestions of what they need to improve brestfeeding
services.
I am chair person of our Advisory Council. We have 3 officers-chair,
vice-chair and secretary. Mailing is provided by the Area Health Education
Center, the hospital and various members.
I think we have a good gorup and we have done some good things but remember
this is the home of the hospital that has been resistant to hiring an IBCLC (
has a Lactaion Specialist) and has a breastfeeding rate of about 35%. So we
have a long way to go.
Barb Whitehead, BS, IBCLC
Eastern NC
***********************************************
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
|
