Having just spent 4 hours trying to reach a physician about a problem (non-lactational), I was astounded to discover that he was quite willing to talk with me when I mentioned that I was a lactation consultant. (This came up because I was talking his language about some esoteric things, and he originally thought I was just the daughter of the patient! Regular people aren't supposed to pronounce those big words, I guess.) Anyway, he became considerably more forthcoming after learning that I know about in-hospital care and community-based (clinic) care in other contexts and what the biggest problem with such an HMO system is (the CEO is getting a letter from me when all this difficulty has been resolved!) in spite of their best efforts. How does this relate to lactation? I saw it as yet another example of the fact that when dealing with individuals/representatives of large-scale organizations (a hospital fits this definition), one must KEEP ON KEEPING ON and when one does not take "we can't do that" for an answer, one eventually gets to the people we need to have contact with. PS IN the midst of this post, the person who finally was able to effect contact with a key physician just called me back to make sure that said contact was successful. He obviously heard my frustration and did not want me going away MAD (perhaps just to go away!) If we know how to work the system (or learn as we go, as most of us do), we are going to reach our goals and (possibly) bring others along with us in the process. A humorous aside: after my discussion with the MD in question was over, he asked if I ever reviewed manuscripts and did any writing. I allowed as how I do both. He then asked if I was a literary agent! When I told him I was not and that my advice was to stay away from same unless it was absolutely necessary, we both laughed! :-) Everyone have a good day... mailto:[log in to unmask] "We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations." Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Ferndale, WA USA) [log in to unmask] WEB PAGE: http://www.telcomplus.net/kga/lactation.htm LACTNET archives http://library.ummed.edu/lsv/archives/lactnet.html