International Lactation Board Recognizes AHN’s West Penn Hospital for Excellence in Support to Breastfeeding Families

Hospital Wins for its Second Consecutive Term, Joining Only 11 Other Facilities in the State

PITTSBURGH, Pa – The International Board of Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) 2020 Care Award, an indication of its highest level of support to breastfeeding families, has been awarded to the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Women and Infants Center at West Penn Hospital for a second consecutive, two-year term.

In 2018, West Penn became the first hospital to earn the prestigious designation in southwestern Pennsylvania and was later joined in 2019 by AHN Jefferson hospital. This year, only four Pennsylvania hospitals earned the Care Award bringing the total to 11 facilities in the state and 60 nationwide.

The Care Award, given by the IBCLC and the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), is granted to facilities that provide training to staff members who care for breast feeding families, and have implemented special projects that promote, protect and support breastfeeding and the lactation consultant.

Care Award hospitals, birthing facilities, birthing services, and community-based health agencies must have one or more dedicated lactation consultant support positions and a dedicated lactation program available five to seven days a week. Care Award facilities must also have started or completed within the past two years an evidence-based project, and must have documented training updates for breastfeeding support staff that are unrelated to the project and are free of any commercial influence.

“Since our premiere award in 2018, the Women and Infants Center at West Penn hospital has continued to pursue impactful breastfeeding initiatives tailored to new families as well as our AHN caregivers,” said Marcia Klein-Patel, MD, chair of the AHN Women’s Institute. “We couldn’t be more proud of this prestigious recognition and this team’s outstanding work and advocacy for the communities, patients and employees we serve.”

Within the last two years, the West Penn maternal care team has implemented two breastfeeding-specific initiatives at the hospital. The first launched a dedicated, private space for employees to comfortably express breast milk using hospital-grade pumps and refrigerated storage at any time throughout the work day. Secondly, a comprehensive training program was rolled out to all employees including a formalized presentation on the benefits of breastfeeding as well as an in-person competency session for nurses.

“Patients view their healthcare professionals and caregivers as respected sources of breastfeeding information and guidance. Research also consistently confirms that clinicians have a profound impact on families’ infant-feeding decisions,” continued Dr. Klein-Patel. “As a result of these factors, among others, our team has an inherent responsibility to properly equip staff with thorough instruction and extensive knowledge so they can best counsel mom and set baby up for success in the future.”

Moms who choose to breastfeed give their babies a healthy start that lasts a lifetime. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, benefits of breastfeeding include a lower risk of childhood obesity, SIDS, asthma, type 2 diabetes, and many other diseases and conditions.

At AHN hospitals, lactation consultants who are board-certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners meet privately with new moms after delivery and throughout their hospital stays. Support services include breastfeeding classes for moms-to-be and new moms, phone consultations available by calling 412-578-7030, weekly support groups and a retail store that rents breast pumps and sells items such as nursing bras and accessories.

AHN is the fastest-growing health system for labor and delivery in western Pennsylvania, growing by more than 70 percent since 2013. Across the Network’s four labor and delivery units — at West Penn, Saint Vincent in Erie, Jefferson, and Forbes hospitals — AHN delivered more than 8,100 babies in 2019.

AHN Women’s and Infants’ Centers offer personalized physician-patient relationships, one-on-one nursing care and family-centered birthing suites. Critically ill infants are cared for in advanced level III neonatal intensive care units (NICU) at West Penn and Saint Vincent Hospitals, while level II NICUs for non-critically ill infants are located at Forbes and Jefferson hospitals.

For more information on the AHN Women & Infants Center, visit ahn.org

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