Minutes 05-25-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Recently, the Breastfeeding Coalition of Orange and Chatham County met and learned that the breastfeeding support specialist position in the Cooperative Extension department was to be eliminated and I came to speak in support of retaining that position. What is the purpose of the breastfeeding support specialist position? - Help pregnant women make informed choices about breastfeeding, provide breastfeeding support and encouragement for new mothers during those critical first days and weeks and educate the community about breastfeeding support. Sadly, many of these mothers often lack support in their homes and families and this position and program has helped them to continue breastfeeding and providing the very best for their infant. These visits occur in various forms — home, hospital, clinic visits, and follow-up phone calls. Why is this program unique? This program is unique due to several factors. Breastfeeding support programs exist across the county but the total collaboration that has happened to make this program work is truly inspiring. The center of this is the breastfeeding coalition of Orange and Chatham County. This is a roundtable of community leaders and breastfeeding support staff who work together to make this program a success. - UNC Hospital lactation staff support this program through additional training as well as referral/consultations for mothers outside the scope of practice. Our lactation staff is just a phone call away. Earlier today, I spoke with Diane Asbil, one of the lactation consultants who have worked closely with this program. "As we become 2nd in the state to become a baby-friendly, breastfeeding support in the community is a major factor in our ongoing care of our families we serve. For our Orange County residents who lack resources to seek out and procure support and assistance in learning these new skills once they leave the hospital, this breastfeeding support program has met the need like no other." She went on to add, "while we all feel the impact of our current economic environment, the loss of this program will have further negative impact in our community with increased medic al care costs, lost wages for parents staying home with sick infants, and increasing the portions of family income being allocated to pay for infant formulas, all consequences of decreased support and assistance for breastfeeding provided to our mothers in our community." Additionally, the hospital provides access to new moms to promote breastfeeding and for the breastfeeding support staff to make those early connects. Additionally, hospital lactation staff audits the records of the breastfeeding support specialist, to ensure continuity of care as well as for accuracy. - The second collaborating partner is Piedmont Health Services. They provide breastfeeding support staffing for part of Orange County as well as Chatham County. Additionally, they provide space for breastfeeding support within their facilities in additional to educational materials and supplies. They also chair the Breastfeeding Coalition of Orange and Chatham County. By sharing these costs, this has allowed for greater expansion of this program and more services to more of those in need. - The Orange County Health Department has been an active collaborator in this program as well. They are not only part of the coalition, but regularly refer patients to the program for the breastfeeding support through their prenatal clinics and their nurse home visiting program. Advantages for retaining the position? First, having this position part of the Cooperative Extension has allowed for reaching a broader range of families. Families come from UNC, Piedmont Health Services, and the Orange County Health Department and referrals from the EFNEP program. This position has multiagency relationships that have yielded higher outcomes and more results. Additionally, many people don't realize that extension has been