FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Colleen Leonard Leyden; Director Corporate Marketing and Public Relations
Chester County Hospital
606 E. Marshall St., Suite 203
West Chester, PA 19380
610-431-5699
colleen.leyden@uphs.upenn.edu
(West Chester, PA) -- The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) and International Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®) have recognized Chester County Hospital in West Chester, PA for excellence in lactation care.
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 Chester County Hospital facility demonstrated that it has recently completed activities that help protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
Esmé Hough, IBCLC Chair of the Board of IBLCE recently stated, "Agencies that are awarded the IBCLC Care Award have dedicated their efforts to promote and provide a lactation program that makes expert assistance available when the breastfeeding family needs it. This is achieved through encouraging and informing breastfeeding families about the benefits and management of breastfeeding as well as training health care professionals to assist families achieve their breastfeeding goals."
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.
According to Michele Griswold, President of ILCA, "IBCLCs help families realize the most precious bond with their children. They also assist families in providing their children with the best possible start in life. At ILCA, we are proud to support the IBCLC Care Award because we recognize the significant contributions of IBCLCs to improving global health outcomes at the local level."
As allied health care professionals with the leading internationally recognized certification for professional lactation services, IBCLC professionals work in hospitals and birthing centers, clinics, public health agencies, private practice, community settings, government agencies, and in research. There are currently more than 30,000 such professionals in 108 countries worldwide that are IBCLCs (www.iblce.org). The IBCLC certification program is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). NCCA accreditation represents a mark of quality for certification programs.
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About Chester County Hospital
Founded in 1892 as the county's first hospital, the non-profit has grown into a 248-bed acute-care inpatient facility in West Chester, PA. It also has outpatient services in Exton, PA; West Goshen, PA; New Garden, PA; West Grove, PA: Jennersville, PA and Kennett Square, PA. In 2013, Chester County Hospital became part of Penn Medicine, which is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to medical education, biomedical research, and excellent patient care. In addition to quality-driven medical and surgical services, Chester County Hospital also offers home health, inpatient hospice and skilled nursing care; occupational medicine; outpatient laboratory, radiology and physical therapy services; wound care; cardiopulmonary rehab; and a prenatal clinic for the under-served. In 2020, Chester County Hospital will complete the largest expansion in its history. The project will welcome a state-of-the-art procedural platform with 15 operating room suites, a 99-bed patient tower, a new main entrance and an expanded and renovated Emergency Department. Learn More! >>
Related Information from Chester County Hospital: