This has been a pet peeve of mine for years!!! When it became fashionable for hospital's to have an LC in my area, many hospitals simply assigned someone the role. Then they would advertise that they had an LC on staff to draw maternity patients. Sometimes the person was a good choice but most of the time it was not. The choice of a hospital's LC was in the hands of their administration. So I went on an educational rampage. I taught childbirth class students what to look for in an LC, certification, training etc. I made up a generic handout called "What Is a Lactation Consultant" and distrubuted it in classes and physician's offices. This teaching cost me a contract with a major hospital that at the time was a major part of my family's income. Looking back now, it was all worth it. Consumer pressure forced the hospitals to either train and certify their choice or hire someone who was better qualified.