I received some distrubing news today from my direct supervisor at my WIC
office.

I am an IBCLC for a WIC office.  Last week, my staff attended a one week
course seminar taught by two very well known women whose names I won't reveal.
They were told that if you are practising as an IBCLC and are not in a
licensed profession (i.e. a nurse working at a hospital) where your job
description states that you may touch women, that you are setting yourself up
for a potential lawsuit.  Evidently, there are quite a few cases pending right
now in which LCs are being sued for babies who have died or become ill after
mothers followed the advice of an IBCLC.

I stated that I do have liability insurance, but that was discussed at this
conference, and apparently it holds no water in a lawsuit if you are not a
licensed health professional in a job which requires touching in your job
description.  According to the teachers at this conference, IBCLC is simply a
piece of paper which states you passed an exam - it does not give you license
to "practise medicine" or provide hands on care.

I am sure that many of you can respond to this, and I look forward to the
discussion, as I am concerned.  My superivosr is seriously considering not
allowing me to perform consultations in our health department office any more.

Thanks,
Brenda Phipps, BS, IBCLC