Hospital earns award for lactation care

Chester County Hospital’s Maternity Unit continues to be nationally recognized as a best hospital for Maternity Care. In December the hospital was named Best Hospitals for Maternity Care by the U.S. News & World Report among other national recognitions and is now recognized for excellence in lactation care.

The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) and International Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®) has once again recognized Chester County Hospital for excellence in lactation care after receiving this two-year award consecutively since 2014.

Chester County Hospital has received the IBCLC Care Award in recognition for staffing professionals who hold the prestigious International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) certification and providing a lactation program for breastfeeding families. In addition, the facility demonstrated that it has recently completed activities that help protect, promote, and support breastfeeding, including expanding our donor human milk program.

Frances Doyle, MSN, RN, CNML, Director of Maternal Child Services says “Achieving this award is a testament to our Lactation Consultant Team and Nursing Staff for proving outstanding care for parents and their newborns. Through their dedicated effort they help families create a precious bond with their children from the earliest moments possible.”

Lactation Consultant and Baby Friendly CoCoordinator at Chester County Hospital, Robin B. Frees, BA, CHt, IBCLC, says, “The lactation staff works closely with the medical providers and nurses to implement evidence-based care from prenatal appointments, through the hospital stay and after discharge.” We first became a Baby Friendly hospital in 2019. This designation and the IBCLC Care Award demonstrate our dedication to providing new families in our community with exceptional care

The Baby Friendly Hospital initiative is a global effort to improve the care of pregnant women, mothers and infants by protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding. “The hospital has continued to implement and grow our Baby Friendly practices, as well as expand our prenatal education for parents. Our goal is that parents have the most current information about optimal infant feeding and can make the best choice for themselves, their babies and their families,” Frees says.

IBCLCs focus on preventive care, so they are available during pregnancy to assess and provide information on how to successfully initiate breastfeeding. They continue that assistance after the baby is born by helping families overcome breastfeeding challenges, providing accurate information, and continuing to support them as their baby grows. They assist families returning to work or school, help families in more unusual situations such as breastfeeding more than one baby or nursing a sick or premature infant, and help train nursing staff to manage basic breastfeeding care.

Stephanie George, Indigenous Midwife, IBCLC, and President of ILCA, shares “We are proud as IBCLCs to be the professional standard in the provision of breastfeeding care, in any setting. The multi-role capacity of the IBCLC cannot be overlooked, nor can the economic and social impact of having an IBCLC on staff be ignored. It is an honor to recognize the facilities and IBCLCs that are transforming world health through skilled lactation care with the IBCLC Care Award.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO CCH Lactation Team pictured from left to right: Robin Frees, BA, CHt, HBCE, IBCLC; Michele Quigley BNS, RN, IBCLC, CCE; Colleen D. Hurley MSN, RNC-NIC, IBCLC Not Pictured: Tricia Snyder BSN, RN, IBCLC, CCE; Stephanie DiDonato, BSN, RNC-NIC, IBCLC.